Donuts Are Forever 4 @ The Bell House – 2.6.10 February 7, 2010
Posted by emaphotography in Events, Music.Tags: ?uestove, Dee Phunk, dj brainchild, dj lowkey, dj parler, dj spinna, dj tara, donuts are forever 4, gak city, iheartdilla, J Dilla, j dilla foundation, jessica estevez, joey too fresh, king texas, legendary roots crew, lemu, leroy jenkins, raise it up, rare form, Richard Louissaint, rule4080, tanya morgan, tatyana fazlalizadeh, the bell house
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Last night I attended Part 3 of the J Dilla tribute festivities in NYC, the ever-growing “Donuts Are Forever (DAF).” Now in its fourth year, this event brings together fans of J Dilla’s music from all over the country. The concept is simple: come and listen to music by the late, great producer all night, enjoy free donuts and make new friends while dancing the night away. It was at the 2nd DAF that I met Brokn.Englsh, Fly Lady Di and DJ Evil Dee, and they are still very present in my circle of friends and colleagues.
I arrived at The Bell House in Brooklyn shortly after 9:30pm to find a few people already waiting on line outside. After press check-in, I discovered a line of people inside as well; the flyer said “EARLY ARRIVAL SUGGESTED” for good reason, as DAF events pack out early! For a minimum donation of $5 (of which the proceeds will benefit the J Dilla Foundation, we were treated to music by DJ Brainchild, DJ Tara (also one of the founders of Rare Form NYC, which put on the event), DJ Lowkey, DJ Parler and ?uestlove of the Legendary Roots Crew! There were also mountains of donuts to snack on and fly t-shirts for sale.
As the crowd started to fill up the venue, I made my rounds and was happy to see some faces I haven’t seen in a long time, like King Texas (a phenomenal photographer!), Tanya Morgan (who hosted last year’s DAF) and Lemu of Gak City (who is responsible for one of my favorite photo days ever, the 4th Annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival). I also scored a Dilla pin by this guy (who gave me his because he ran out of the ones he passed out at the party):
By 11pm, only one hour after doors opened, I went outside to scope out the crowd. It was DOWN THE BLOCK… DAF staff was passing out donuts to to people outside while they waited.
No guestlists here: my phone started blowing up as the venue started to reach capacity and the venue staff stopped letting people in… I went back inside, where Tatyana Fazlalizadeh was doing live art:
Around midnight, J Dilla’s mom, Ma Dukes came in with the J Dilla Foundation staff. My homegirl Jessica Estevez of IHeartDilla.com had been rolling with them all day and was part of the entourage =)
?uestlove arrived soon after, and the crowd went wild when he hit the stage, as DJ Brainchild continued to warm up the crowd.
Right before ?uestlove started his set, Ma Dukes took the stage to address the crowd. It was a moment where the room was unified in love and solidarity for her son, and I definitely felt the emotion in the room. My favorite moment was when Ma Dukes put a J in the air after speaking to those in attendance.
?uestlove started his set, and the energy in the room ignited… it reached a fevered pitch when he played “Raise It Up”; Tanya Morgan, Dee Phunk (one of the founders of Rare Form) and company jumped on stage and hyped up the crowd. The crowd returned the energy, chanting “RAISE IT UP! RAISE IT UP!”
Tatyana finished her piece, and I can’t imagine what was going through Ma Dukes’ mind as she admired the painting of her son…
In the lounge, DJ’s Tara, Parler and Lowkey played more Dilla treats…
Backstage, people dropped in to greet Ma Dukes, including DJ Spinna and Pen of Leroy Jenkins.
Pen gave Ma Dukes a set of baby photos of Dilla that were given to him while working on a project. Ma Dukes proudly showed them off to myself, Joey Too Fresh of Rule4080.com and Richard Louissaint, who were in the room at the time. I felt privileged to take part in such a private moment.
Later, Tara and Dee Phunk came and presented Ma Dukes with a bouquet of flowers as a gesture of appreciation, and vowed to continue to do all they could to support the J Dilla Foundation in the future.
Yet another very emotional moment in a night of many…
Check out more photos below. Shouts to Dee Phunk, Tara, Eric and the whole Rare Form team for putting together this event, as well as all the DJ’s, staff and volunteers. And of course, thanks to everyone who came out and continues to support this great event and noble cause. Donuts Are Forever 4 is now in the history books; don’t miss the next one!
Happy Birthday, J Dilla. R.I.P.
“One Won’t Do”: A Tribute to J Dilla @ North 4th Bar – 2.5.10 February 6, 2010
Posted by emaphotography in Uncategorized.Tags: ariel diaz, black45, crystal clarity, dj evil dee, drastic measures, fresh daily, fyc, iheartdilla, j dilla foundation, j dilla shankar, jessica estevez, ma dukes, marthalicia matarrita, maureen yancey
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(Maureen Yancey aka Ma Dukes (J Dilla’s Mom) and Jessica Estevez of I Heart Dilla)
After the J Dilla tribute at The Bronx Museum, I hopped on the train to Brooklyn with Shankar (the director of Fresh Daily’s “Apollo 13″ video) as my subway buddy and headed to North 4th Bar for the second Dilla tribute event of the night. This one was hosted by Jessica Estevez of I Heart Dilla and FYC of Drastic Measures. Featuring performances by a slew of artists and simultaneously streamed on Beatminers Radio (DJ Evil Dee & Co.), this event also featured live art by Marthalicia Matarrita and Crystal Clarity which was available for purchase immediately following the event. T-shirts by the winner of a T-shirt contest were also on sale, and we enjoyed yummy donuts during the show.
Check out the photos below for more on this wonderful event… I think I speak for all of us when I say that the highlight of the night was when J Dilla’s mom, Maureen Yancey, aka Ma Dukes along with J Dilla’s fiancee came through to speak to us about the J Dilla Foundation. Ariel Fernandez Diaz and Black45 also came after their tribute event to present a check to Ma Dukes for the J Dilla Foundation on behalf of The Bronx Museum.
Congrats to I Heart Dilla & FYC for a successful debut event. I look forward to more events in the years to come.
“Looking for the Perfect Beat”: A Tribute to J Dilla @ The Bronx Museum – 2.5.10 February 6, 2010
Posted by emaphotography in Events, Music, Shows.Tags: ariel fernancez diaz, asho, black45, bronx museum of the arts, daniel joseph, dj mentplus, el da sensei, illmind, J Dilla, james yancey, john robinson, meet the producers, ralph mcdaniels, Sucio Smash, yahzeed
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For the past four years, during the first week/weekend of February, hip hop heads have been coming together to celebrate the life and music of J Dilla (born James Yancey), who passed way on February 10, 2006 of TTP (a blood disorder) and Lupus. He was only 32, and died 3 days after his birthday the release of his album, Donuts.
Although Dilla was from Detroit, New York ’s hip hop community has consistently put together events honoring him that bring together fans from far and wide. This year, I decided to cover all the major J Dilla tribute events in the NYC area, the first of which was “Looking for the Perfect Beat” at The Bronx Museum of the Arts.
The event was hosted by Black45 of Meet the Producers (MTP) Jersey and Ariel Fernandez Diaz (Asho). It featured performances by Daniel Joseph, Yahzeed, John Robinson and El Da Sensei as well as a producer showcase by Illmind and DJ Mentplus. Several hundred people came out to support this event, including Ralph McDaniels (Video Music Box). I was especially pleased that many friends from Brooklyn, New Jersey and beyond made the trip uptown to the Bronx.
Check out some the photos from the event below.
Show/Event Pics of the Week(end): 2.4.10 February 4, 2010
Posted by emaphotography in Events, Promo.Tags: bronx museum, donuts are forever, iheartdilla, J Dilla
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Got some choice events for you this weekend, being that it’s DILLA WEEKEND! Come out and support.
Statik Selektah Release Show @ SOBs – 2.3.10 February 4, 2010
Posted by emaphotography in Shows.Tags: Bahamadia, Buckshot, Dirty Souf Yankee, dj premier, donny goines, Donovan Kasp, emilio rojas, Freddy Foxxx, freeway, hezekiah, Invincible, jinesis, Joe Scudda, jon hope, Lil Fame, M.O.P., Mel D. Cole, mr. mecca, natty night, PackFM, poison pen, Rhyson, Sha Stimuli, Skyzoo, Smif N Wesson, sobs, Stalley, Statik Selektah, styles p, Telisa D, Termanology, tiye phoenix, torae, Truck North, Village Slum, We Stole the Show
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Last night was one of those nights where what I assumed would be a quiet night turned into something crazy… I went to SOBs to cover Statik Selektah’s album release show, mainly because the homie Jon Hope was performing and asked me to come through. Anything for a guy who drove 3 and a half hours to rock in NYC!
I got there a little before 9pm and was disappointed to see a low turnout, especially considering all the artists performing that night (not including the special guests)… but by the time the show started around 10:30pm, the venue had filled up quite nicely.
Two things to mention:
1. NattyNight went on a hat-snatching spree and scored the hats off the heads of Donny Goines, PackFM and Emilio Rojas… after the one I took from Myk Dyaleks (Brokn.Englsh) and Lyriqs 2 Go becoming a victim at the Styles P show Monday, I think we have a trend on our hands… lol. Don’t worry, if your hat gets snatched, you’ll get it right back (after proper documentation). She may even ask nicely for it. =)
2. At one point during the show, this guy took Lord Sear’s mic (the host for the evening) and went on this ridiculously long tirade about Deceptacons and stealing chains and how we should tuck ours in if we see him or his people. He also went on to bash this artist and found time to spit an acapella and talk about how New York hip hop is nothing like it was in its heyday…I can’t wait for footage from Natty Night and Mazzi (Soul Purpose) to go up so you can see what I was talking about. Even after Shucky Ducky and DJ Boogie Blind coaxed the mic away from him, he jumped into the crowd to continue his rant, and then took it backstage.
Little did he know, someone by the name of Freddy Foxxx (aka Bumpy Knuckles) would make him eat his words. LITERALLY. Mel D. Cole of Village Slum was there when it happened. Somebody also has footage of the beatdown, and I expect it to find its way online any day now…Ouch.
On to the show…a whole slew of guests came through to perform & show support for Statik Selektah, including Torae, Truck North, Joe Scudda (thank you for performing your verse off “Lovin’ It”!), Reks (my find of the week… I really liked this MC’s performance), Sha Stimuli, Termanology, Tiye Phoenix, Lil Fame of M.O.P. (“Ante Up” obliged), Skyzoo, Bahamadia, Invincible, Hezekiah, Freeway, Styles P, DJ Premier, Smif N Wesson and Buckshot. Shouts to Stalley, Emilio Rojas, Dirty Souf Yankee, Donovan Kasp, Jinesis, Rhyson of We Stole the Show, Poison Pen, Mr. Mecca, Telisa D and everyone else in attendance. Check out some of my photos below.
Styles P @ Highline Ballroom – 2.1.10 February 4, 2010
Posted by emaphotography in Shows.Tags: brokn.englsh, Cion Burris, Consequence, dame dash, emilio rojas, Green Lantern, highline ballroom, Jadakiss, jinesis, LOX, Lyriqs2Go, Mel D. Cole, mr. mecca, natty night, pharoahe monch, poison pen, Premium the Delegate, RewMec, Scram Jones, Sheek Louch, Shucky Ducky, Skyzoo, Spree Wilson, Stalley, TECHIE NYC, torae
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I wasn’t even going to go to Highline Ballroom Monday night, but my partner-in-crime Natty Night convinced me to come out… I already knew it was going to be one of those nights when this guy tried to pick me up while I was walking down the block to the venue; he even had the nerve to bash Little Dragon because I told him they were from Sweden (huh?). The chick at the door wouldn’t give us press passes, even though we were on the press list (again I say…huh?), so Natty and I decided to live a little and shoot anyway. Right in front of the stage, no less. =)
Inside, it was a testosterone fest… shouts to the ladies who WERE in attendance though. Is it too much to ask to do shows that women would like to come to, Hip Hop? My ears were treated to the lovely sounds of the ALIFE band backing Stalley upon entering the building… the remainder of the evening, music-wise, was straight “hood hop” (LOL). It was a night of hilarity, between the host trying his best to warm up the lukewarm crowd, some couple making out all over the venue, Natty and I trying to stand our ground from girls trying to stand in front of us while we were covering the show, etc, etc…
The energy in the room increased when Sean Price came out, and the crowd went bananas when Styles P finally came out with a slew of special guests, including Sheek Louch & Jadakiss…
Some lucky fans also caught copies of the “Green Ghost Project” by Styles P and Green Lantern, which officially dropped at midnight.
Shouts to Dame Dash, Cion Burris and Lyriqs2Go of Brokn.Englsh, RewMec, Premium the Delegate, Spree Wilson, Scram Jones, Emilio Rojas, Torae, Skyzoo, Mr. Mecca, Poison Pen, Jinesis, Shucky Ducky, TECHIE NYC, Stalley, Consequence, Pharoahe Monch (with a new look: he cut off his fro!), Mel D. Cole, and LOX for a memorable evening! Peep more photos below.
Forever Fresh Finale @ Southpaw – 1.29.10 February 1, 2010
Posted by emaphotography in Shows.Tags: donny goines, eternia, forever fresh, gospel of hip hop, jah-c, krs-1, red bull, southpaw, the antidote
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With the homie Jah-C snagging a new gig with Red Bull, he decided to bring his Forever Fresh showcase to an end last weekend. And it went out with a bang! Eternia, Jah-C’s band The Antidote, Donny Goines and The Teacher himself, KRS-1 rocked the stage… KRS-1 came bearing gifts, throwing out copies of his book, “The Gospel of Hip Hop” and signing as many of them as he could. He invited Eternia’s beatboxer onstage to beatbox (what an honor!) and came into the audience for an impromptu freestyle cipher. BANANAS!
Thanks to Jah-C for inviting me to shoot this memorable night, as well as Natty Night, TECHIE NYC (thanks for the water and the book!), Donovan Kasp (for keeping me hydrated after the show), Warren Britt, Jay (Glow Society) and Conscious for a fun night!
KAMPE ANSAM Benefit for Haiti @ Southpaw – 1.24.10 January 27, 2010
Posted by emaphotography in Events, Shows.Tags: haiti, kampe ansam, southpaw
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Sunday, after many days of hard work and sleepless nights, my friends Cynthia St. Juste, TreZure the Empress and Emmelyne Louis and I presented a benefit show & bazaar at Southpaw. I literally slept maybe 2-3 hours after coming home in the wee hours of the morning from sending out last-minute emails at a local Dunkin Donuts. I’ll spare you the details, but I wanted to share some photos and video (courtesy of Natty Night) from the evening. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the performers, vendors, artists, photographers/videographers, speakers and volunteers who made this event a success! The proceeds collected will benefit Yele Haiti and Doctors Without Borders. Look out for future events and shows throughout the year, as KAMPE ANSAM! (Stand Together!) is a long-term coalition of individuals and businesses, bringing awareness to the relief efforts in Haiti. If you would like to get involved with KAMPE ANSAM! Coalition, please email kampeansam@gmail.com. Our website, www.kampeansam.com will be coming soon. You can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kampeansam.
In the interest of time, I’m just going to post the photos right now, but check back later for an updated version of this post with videos and contact info for all the benefit’s participants. We would also like to thank D-Cross and Nadine Michel, who were supposed to perform but had to cancel at the last minute due to illness and a death in the family, respectively.
Wordspit – “Poet’s Haiku” (Video) January 26, 2010
Posted by emaphotography in Music.Tags: adam donald, bleu magazine, poet's haiku, robin winter, Wordspit
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I’ve been meaning to post pics from Wordspit’s video release show for “Poet’s Haiku”…look out for them real soon… in the meantime, here’s the video. Wordspit and I shared our first magazine print in Bleu Magazine, and you can see it around 0:55 (shameless plug).
Shouts to Robin Winter and Adam Donald for a wonderful and powerful visual to this song.
Wordspit – “Poet’s Haiku” (Video)
Jinesis – “I’ll Be” (The Gold Edition) January 26, 2010
Posted by emaphotography in Music.Tags: fresh daily, i'll be, jinesis, natty night
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New music from the producer homie Jinesis (of “The Coffee Shop” and “Bonkers Vol. 1″ fame)! Rappers, MC’s and hip-hoppers take notice… Jinesis presents “I’ll Be” (The Gold Edition). My fave cut is the intro to “Candy” =) Shouts to the Fresh Daily on the graphics and Natty Night on the intro! Enjoy!
Download “I’ll Be” by Jinesis for free: http://jinesis.bandcamp.com
