Yes, Dutty Artz is a recording label with actual (and digital) records in stores, tremendously talented musicians, one extremely dedicated operative, and supporters.
Here’s a tune from DUTTY REMIX ZERO which is still fresh in the stores. This remix is great, but you should really hear SHADETEk’s “Can’t Breathe” remix.
Rupture and JahDan are in the middle of their UK trek. If you are in the area, go and see them! Something wonderful happens when these two are together. Check DATV001 for proof.
Jahdan Blakkamoore: We Are Raiders, presented by Matt Shadetek and DJ /Rupture will be in your shops on July 7th. We’ve been labbed up and working hard to get this first taste into the world as quickly as possible while finishing the full length that these songs are taken from, and now: it’s here! Well, in a few days anyway. But trust me, unlike some of our past infinitely receding release dates, this one actually exists (camphone evidence by Geko Jones):
It will be available in CD, digital and 12″, with instrumentals and a bonus tune on the CD and digital, vinyl is the four vocals only (CD cover pictured).
Growing up in a Mandinka (Malinke or Mandingo whichever you prefer) household in Sierra Leone and later in Guinea, Salif Keita’s music-one of the finest voices of Africa-was always on heavy rotation. Salifu Keita is royalty, not only as a direct descendant of Sundiata Keita, founder of the Malian Empire, but he’s a musical treasure to Mandinka people and to Africa and the whirled. His exquisite voice is a mountain. “Mandjou” is from his very successful 1995 album Folon recorded in Paris. Download the older, Bamako version here -recorded sometime between 1969 and 1980. I grew up listening to both, the Bamako version on cassette and the Parisian version on CD.
First, here’s an all Steve Gurley mix I’ve been listening to quite a lot lately. I am flagrantly ripping this from the dubstepforum, where it was ripped from Uptown Music Forum, where it was posted about a year ago. The mix was done by someone named AverageJoe, an ordinary DJ with a funny Homer Simpson gif as his MySpace default.
The first is of Mr Eliel Lucero skankin’ (to some really good Roots music Matt was playing earlier in the night) in his brand new Dutty Artz tee! Get yours!
And here I am, standing around (yeah, i’m mad bcuz i’m only) in my plain old regular tee— waiting for that lite tropical pink.
And here’s Yellowman, AKA Geko Jones. This man spins and dances behind the decks like a mutha, (but then again, he falls into a state of deep concentration at times.) I’m not sure who’s the better dancer behind the decks, Matt or Gex? I don’t think Rupture dances behind his decks. Maga Bo doesn’t either. Well, I’ve never seen them dance behind their turntables anyway. Have you? If you have, I need photo-or videographic evidence of these two men getting down.
77Klash is back with a bang. Check out his code for the streets EP (buyable on iTunes) with tunes produced by him, me and more. I’m partial to my tune Madagain with Johnny Osbourne on vocals but the whole thing is fiyaaaah. Check the title track especially. Released on his own label Klash City Records and blogged and hyped by the fader, diplo and the rest of the hipsterati Klash is one of the only people I know equally comfortable in whatever downtown scene is about to be the next big thing or chilling in Kingston with local warlords and drug smugglers. It gives him a real unique perspective which he brings to bear on his own blend of rocky, hiphop, dancehall, electro-punk madness. Watch out for some new collabo tunes from he and I coming soon as well.
Check his myspace and RCRD LBL pages for more infos, contacts, bookings, etc.
It’s early and I’m still groggy but the internet is awake and buzzing. Go Round Payola, the ’single’ from the EP, produced by me, (do EPs have singles? our’s does) is up on the DA Myspace, The Fader’s blog and JD’s myspace. Listen, skank out in your yard in your underwear, add it to your profile, tell your girl, whatever. Already I’m getting requests for the instro from people to do more versions so there’ll probably be another vocal or two before this is all done. However, remember when I said ” We’re calling it New York Tropical, before someone comes up with an even stupider name.”? Well, whoever’s blogging over at the Fader is trying to call it Trancehall. Yikes! Ouch! My dignity! They’re lumping us in with Ricky Blaze, which is great, I love Cut Dem Off but Trancehall? No. TROPICAL. Still, big up to them for the promo love. Also I stole their blog pic. I think it’s from when Jah D went to Africa with DJ Child last year.
The Dutty Artz family is VERY pleased to announce that we’ve just finished the first artist release for DA, Jahdan Blakkamoore’s EP entitled “We Are Raiders”. Jahdan is a Brooklyn local hero and has been doing his thing for years. From providing the ragga verse on Smif & Wessun’s hip-hop classic Sound Bwoy Buriel to singing the chorus on my tune Brooklyn Anthem (known in the hood as the Craziest Riddim) Jahdan has done a lot. Now, the next phase. Me, Rupture, Geko and Jah D have been labbed up for the past 6 months in the depths of Brooklyn recording his album for Dutty Artz under the working title Buzzrock Warrior. The album is crazy, it’s JD continuing the grimey direction he and I started in with Brooklyn Anthem and branching out in others as well. Dubstep is present, Cumbia is in the building, mad digital Dancehall is there and a lot of stuff that I don’t even know what to call it. Reggae? Sort of. Hip-hop? mmm, yeah. R+B? Kinda.
We’re calling it New York Tropical, before someone comes up with an even stupider name. When we put some audio online you’ll be the first to know and you can stick your own labels to it. In the mean-time, here’s the 12″ art. The four track 12″ will be out first followed shortly by the CD which adds the instrumentals.
Rupture put up his verdict and covered a lot of ground, so I’ll just say a big THANKS to everyone who came out. I loved the party, I haven’t had that much fun on decks in a while. We had a great time and if the heaving dancefloor was any indication I hope you all did as well.
Here’s a few pics from the night, more soon(ish) (Thanks Karla!).
MARIANA FROM ARGENTINA PERFORMING:
GEKO JONES ON DECK:
MATT SHADETEK (ME) ON DECK:
DJ /RUPTURE IN DEEP CONCENTRATION:
RAVERS:
MORE PHOTOS, THANKS TOM:
NO WAIT!!! LISTEN TO MY HARMONICA!!!!!!! I AM NOT JUST SOME RANDOM HARMONICA GUY! GIVE ME A MIC! PLUG IN TEH HEADPHONES! SERIOUSLY!
Big shoutout to everybody who came thru and got down last nite! even the dude who kept shouting at me “WE’VE GOT SO MUCH IN COMMON, I UNDERSTAND YOU MUSICALLY SO LET ME PLAY MY HARMONICA RIGHT NOW.” The fact that he was so ridiculous really underscored what great vibes the rest of the crowd was bringing. Color everywhere.
And yes, independent pollsters & U.N. bystanders confirmed that we achieved a female-majority gender ratio.
Special shout out to guest vocalist Mariana from Buenos Aires — “beauty so sudden for this time of year” — she’s in town recording for a few weeks and graced us w/ a little live PA action, muchisimas gracias!
The place was rammed, but i spotted: Carolina, Jah Dan, Leif, Broklyn, Kingdom, Mr Lee G (who said my Architecture in Helsinki rmx w/ him is blowing up… in Trinidad!), Abena, the lovely Team Moji, Nokea, and lotzzz more, too many to hyperlink & mention.
fotos & vid & DA TV en español coming soon.
Geko & I were running around the Heights getting chop+play gems for the next Dance this afternoon, no time waste, too many waists to dutty wine
me: can you send me the mix? whats going on? i heard u got bodyslammed at seabreeze, (T & i left b4 u showed up) zuperb.
Kingdom: urg yes. i was nearly bedridden for 2 days. the big girl in the glowing tee (pictured below) singled me out danced with me, threw me on the ground, and then jumped off the railing with full weight landing on my pelvis.
honestly it was worth it. the whole scene was so fuckin dancehallrave it was crazy, also love that sexy dancing goes to the level of WWF
You thought I was joking when I said Brooklyn Anthem will not die. Well, after getting rinsed on the underground throughout the world and going mainstream through placement on Madden ‘08 it’s now crossed over to the Brooklyn teen bashment dance scene, which is popping off on Youtube. To be totally honest, I had no idea this was happening. Klash just sent me a mail with about 40 youtube links of kids dancing to my tune. Big up to Island Superia sound for playing it and promoting their edit of the riddim. If you want to hear a clip of it with Cypha Soundz talking over it about their big teen dance on Mar 1st go to their myspace and play “March 1st Sea Breeze Manor” or check DJ Mountain Doo’s myspace.
My original name for it was the “718 Riddim” but everybody always just called it the “Brooklyn Instro”. Now these kids are calling it the “Craziest” and I like that. I figure it’s a good name for a riddim that just will not stop.
Now, the dancers:
{check the Dutty Artz Youtube Channel for many more of these, this is just four of them}
SELL OFF FAMILY:
With a more quiet, acoustic, sensitive bang, DATV#002 lands.
Dutty Artz family member Jahdan Blakkamoore and Fuego Campo are 2/3 of Noble Society along with Delie. Catch them here doing a special live acoustic set at Salon Lucero at the Bowery Poetry Club. Salon Lucero is a poetry and music event put on by Funkworthy crew member and DA family friend Elliel Lucero.
Jahdan and Fuego performed some new and old Noble Society material including tracks from their mixtape with DJ Child of Project Groundation Massive “Live From The Front Line” and tracks from “Take Charge” the debut Noble Society album which is in its final stages and soon to be unleashed on the world. I opened the video with a clip of one of my favorite tracks of theirs “She Told Me” a heartfelt and emotional song about Jahdan’s divorce from his wife of seven years over Fuego’s excellent not quite grime or dubstep riddim. They performed the song acoustic, which is in the video, along with their beautiful “Mama So Divine” a track which actually is acoustic on the record, inspired by Jahdan’s trip to Africa last year.
We’re speeding up, so watch out for our coverage of Trouble and Bass at love with Dexplicit and an exclusive interview we did the day after with Rupture asking the questions.
And yes, I know we promised cooking and street fashion, trust me, they’re coming.
Somehow despite our “organic” (chaotic) promotional style, people are buzzing about Dutty Artz and the pre-orders for the Dutty Remix Zero 12″ are coming in hot and heavy. It’s getting fattened up and groomed for cutting at Transition in London right now, so I swear it will actually come out, very very soon.
yes, M.sht & I are doing a VIDEO GAME SOUNDTRaCK! to a Guy Debord board game?! crazy + true. Canon-fodder plus midi equals free plastics & a pre-beta party to boot.
At night, when the big advertisers go away, NYC-area radio gets really good.
The stations that are satured with depressing, attention-grabbing ads for the army, “debt relief” usury, and McDonalds during the daytime… well, at night those ads dont go away, they widen to include Viagra-type ads. But they happen less frequently.
And between them unfolds incredible, alive radio. Some moments are great because of the music they play and others are great because of how live they make it all. The best combine both of these with technically virtuoso hiphop DJing. I’m convinced they edit it in advance because i’ve never once heard a mistake or an off-beat blend, it’s that good. We didn’t get any of that perfectionist Manhattan turntablism tonite, but it was bumpin nonetheless. Here’s what i heard:
This is EXACTLY what New York City sounds like right now. Midnite to 3AMish? I’m skipping around stations, but La Kalle and Hot 97 are well-represented, and the weird stuff at the end is WFMU. Recorded onto a flagging harddrive from one of those cd-cassette units that resemble the head of a praying mantis or ant.
clean music rubs right off - the dutty stuff stains
