The Very Good Agency

Pete Philly and Perquisite take some Q&A

Following a considerable amount of touring throughout Europe, Asia, and the world over the past two years, Very Good friends Pete Philly and Perquisite have finally taken a break to work on some solo projects in 2009, but don’t worry… they assure us that they will be back with another album in time for 2010 … ish. Having been nominated again for ‘best alternative group’ by 3FM in the Netherlands, and an Edison award for ‘best song’ in ‘Mystery Repeats’, they continue to produce quality ish like the new video for Q&A which was directed by ‘Nokia Trends Lab’ winner, Lucinda Sedoc, and was shot entirely by using a cell phone!

Check it out…

Pete Philly and Perquisite – Q&A

Aside from this, Pete is currently rehearsing for his lead role in ‘The Man From Nowhere’, a theatre play by Kasper Kapteijn, which premiers at the ‘Melkweg’ in Amsterdam April 15th. Perquisite on the other hand is creating the soundtrack for the upcoming Dutch film ‘Carmen Van Het Noorden’ which also stars Mc’s GMB, Duvel, Jiggy Dje, and Turk.

With a couple of shows in South Africa, and a couple in America coming up, probably one of the better known spots to play in the world is the ‘South by Southwest’ festival, where Pete and Perq will be playing March 18th right before Beyonce’s little sister Solange Knowles hits the stage… two of my fabourite artists playing consecutively… what a dream come true huh ??? yeah well maybe not, but Pete Philly and Perquisite will be sure to drop some heat anyway.

You can check out more of Pete Philly and Perquisite at:

www.petephillyandperquisite.com

www.myspace.com/petephillyandperquisite

…bs

Tags: Funk, hip hop, Music video, Soul

4 3 2 1 – the K-OS YES! countdown is over

Countdown is up people! K-OS (a.k.a Knowledge of Self) has finally released his fourth studio album entitled ‘YES!’. (can I get an amen people)

After 3 amazing albums to date (‘Exit’, ‘Joyful Rebellion’, Atlantis Hymns for Disco’), we can expect another mash up of every style and sound experimented with to date, and of course his own banging flavour that puts him on the top of so many playlists around the world. K-OS confesses on his official web-site “I’m a historical opportunist who’s grown up on everything from Dylan to Marley to KRS-One… I’ve never seen myself as just a hip hop artist”, well as far as I know, this may be the best way to describe him to newer appreciators of hip hop in reality, as this is what true hip hop is really all about.

Here’s a wee taste of the new album…

K-os – 4 3 2 1

Can’t wait to get my hands on this album, and thankfully now I don’t have to.

If you haven’t had the chance to check him out before, you can catch up at our previous articles.

Looking forward to hearing the remixes he has included in the album too, should have attracted some pretty interesting submissions knowing the fan base he has around the world i’m sure.

Good times people.

You can check out  more from K-os at:

www.k-osmusic.com

www.myspace.com/kos

…bs

Tags: Funk, hip hop, Soul

True Live – Found Lost

Listen up kids… because following ‘The Shape Of It’, one of the greatest Australian hip hop albums of the decade, Melbourne six piece jazz, hip hop, classical, crossover group True Live have announced their new album release ‘Found Lost’.

With the album hitting the streets on April 4, True Live will play in Melbourne tomorrow night (March 10) if you can make it to ‘The Toff in Town’, before undoubtedly touring more extensively post release to give all of their new and old school fans a chance to catch their energetic live show (which is really responsible for this group’s massive reputation after a relatively short career so far). Maybe it’s the classical training and wealth of experience that these guys have that brings such a raw energy to their performance, or maybe it’s the breath of fresh air they promote from such an array of influences, but who really cares where it came from, all I care about is that feeling you have every time you walk away from one of their gig’s that you have worn your legs out from bumping to the madness they always inspire in any crowd.

True Live are unlike any other Australian crews really, and with the rumours i’ve heard surrounding the new release suggesting MC Rhyno has twisted their sound, with a heavier reliance on vocals as well as his traditional smooth rap style, maybe the new True Live will even be unlike True Live… if that can make sense? hmmm anyway…

here’s a look at the old True Live, and you can go from there I guess

True Live -Keep Myself Awake

nice huh

You can check out more from True Live at:

www.myspace.com/truelive

…bs

Tags: Australian Artists, Funk, gigs, hip hop, Soul

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop

I like to think that I know a little bit about the history of the hip hop generation, the crossover of styles that had ignited to form a powerful new genre, and now the manipulation into sub genres which we haven’t even had time to name.

It’s been an explosion that has taken place over a few decades now, and I finally get to read what I feel is the best summary to date; Jeff Chang‘s novel, ‘Can’t Stop Won’t Stop’.

Recommended by a friend from the b-girl breaking side, it covers all facets of b-boy and hip hop culture and also the the world view it has created. From the breakers, the graphers, the dj’s, and of course centre stage today… the emcee’s, rightfully this book does well to stay true to the origins of hip hop in the dj, from the transformation of reggae tracks onto dubplats in Jamaica, the flight of this new culture and idea in Kool Herc to the notorious New York Bronx, and its not so eventual viral like spread throughout the world… Can’t Stop Won’t Stop fills in so many of the blank’s of the experience of ‘being there’ that my generation of appreciators can only envisage or feel through reminiscing.

Profiles – Jeff Chang author of ‘Can’t Stop Won’t Stop’

Right now i’m just hitting talk of the days of NWA right after Public Enemy have been making waves, and already I have learned so much and come to understand so many re-occurring themes that I’ve heard over my years of listening. The actual happenings taking place in America lead me to thinking, how could we ever have an Australian or New Zealand hip hop culture that we could truly call our own. Are the off shoots of hip hop in countries around the world a homage to the original, or are they creations of their own right. Hopefully by the end of this book I will be have more light to shed on the future of the scene, but if I come up short Jeff‘s got a follow up on that very topic.

For someone who doesn’t read all that much, I can recommend this book to anyone who is interested in hip hop cultures origins, and until i’m finished reading this book, I Can’t Stop, and I Won’t…

finish it in a cheesy way like that.

you can check out more of Jeff Chang at:

www.cantstopwontstop.com

…bs

Tags: hip hop, Political

Cellphones are killing us – Trillion reports

Yo people listen up…

If your one of these kids who are lucky enough to be rocking a cellphone (a.k.a mobile phone, 2way, ring a ding ding thing), then New Zealand conscious hip hop artist Trillion points out… maybe your not as lucky as you think?

Often bringing interesting pieces to the community, he delivers once again with this piece ‘Invisible hazards in the wireless age (The Cellphone Song)

Hmmmmmm … I use my cellphone all the time, and it heats up aswell which is now of more concern to me then ever. Ignorance is bliss, but information is power, so maybe i’ll turn to the land line in future.

If you’ve got a minute free make sure you check out his track ‘Wallpaper’ i’ve been hooked on lately too on myspace, another testament to Trillion being one of the finer producers in Australasia these days.

With messages packing heat

and banging beats

looks like another dope musician

from the kiwi streets

You can check out more of Trillion at:

www.myspace.com/trilli0n

…bs

Kia ora

Tags: hip hop, New Zealand Artists, Poetry, Political