JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Rakim’s 58th birthday.
Tag: Rakim
New Video: Rakim Teams Up with Dem Jointz and Detroit’s Lazarus on Hard-Hitting Anthem “Not To Be Defined”
The legendary God MC, Rakim will be releasing his fourth solo album, The Re-Up on August 29, 2025 through 1332 Records on all digital streaming platforms with physical copies — that’s right, vinyl, CDs and cassette tape — available right now.
The Re-Up‘s first single, the Dem Jointz-produced “Not To Be Defined,” is a collaboration with Detroit-based emcee and certified physician Lazarus, who was featured in the US Library of Congress for being the first artist to premiere a song from space. “Not To Be Defined” marks a first for the beloved, hip-hop legend, who has helped make the genre a global phenomenon — the first time that he has worked with a Detroit-based artist, ever.
Rakim and Lazarus deftly trade inspired, lyrically packed bars over Dem Jointz’s broodingly cinematic, thumping boom-bap Preemo-meets-Pete Rock-like production. While serving as a meeting of like-minds across different generations, “Not To Be Defined” is a forceful reminder of hip-hop’s artistry and power when true lyricists with something to say grab the mic. And for those, who think that they can’t find that real shit, it’s out there; you just have to make more of an effort to find it.
Directed by Matt Alonzo, the accompanying, slickly edited video features the two emcees on a Detroit rooftop and a studio, spitting bars. Fittingly, the video is no-filler, no bullshit — just real shit.
Alongside Eric B and as a solo artist, Rakim “The God Emcee” has released seven studio albums during his lengthy and massively influential career. His long-awaited, highly-anticipated,eighth album and first full-length studio album in 15 years, the self-produced G.O.D.’s Network (Reb7rth) is slated for a July 26, 2024 release through all formats — yes, digital, CD, cassette and 12″ and 7″ vinyl through www.rakimpresents.com in collaboration with Holy Toledo Productions, Compound Interest Entertainment, RRC Music and 1332 Records.
The album will feature guest spots and collaborations with the late Nipsey Hustle, DMX and Prodigy, as well as B.G., Method Man, 38 Spesh, Kurupt, Masta Killa, Skyzoo, Kool G. Rap, Joell Ortiz, KXNG Crooked, Planet Asia and a lengthy list of others.
G.O.D.’s Network (Reb7rth)‘s second and latest single “Now Is The Time” sees the legend teaming up with B.G., Hus Kingpin and Compton Menace. Anchored around a menacing Rakim production pairing tweeter and woofer rattling boom bap with an eerily looping, twinkling synth line, the Preemo-like production is roomy enough for Rakim, Hus Kingpin and Compton Menace to trade swaggering and bullying street shit-inspired verses. While capturing Rakim at his most inspired and vital in some time, the song also serves as a reminder that real hip-hop — dope emcee spitting real lyrics over dope and soulful production — is still out there and will always be necessary.
With “Be Ill,” Rakim holds down vocals, production and cuts, and he is joined by Dogg Pound and Wu-Tang contemporaries Kurupt and Masta Killa. “Be Ill” is now available at all DSP’s. The video for “Be Ill” will be released on 6-21.24 at 9am EST and will be premiered by Rolling Stone at 8 am EST. The video provides the viewer a golden-era esque time capsule for when all you needed to showcase your skills were two turntables and a microphone. Rakim, Kurupt and Masta Killa all shine in their very unique ways throughout the Rakim produced soundscape, and it serves as a further reminder that it was Rakim’s production that brought to life previous classics such as “Juice” (Know The Ledge), “Don’t Sweat The Technique,” “Paid In Full,” and so many others.
Now Is The Time (feat. B.G., Hus Kingpin & Compton Menace),” taken from his first new project in 15-years, G.O.D.’s Network (Reb7rth).
Summer Festival season is coming, y’all! And that means festival announcements. So let’s get to it, right?Â
Newport Jazz Festival will be returning to Rhode Island’s Fort Adams State Park for its 69th edition. This year’s edition will continue the festival’s long-held tradition of hosting once in a lifetime performances that can only come as a result of Newport’s unique alchemy of intimacy and artistic community.Â
The 69th Edition will take place August 4, 2023 – August 6, 2023 and will feature an eclectic and acclaimed lineup of artists including the legendary Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Charles Lloyd, Vijay Iyer, Jon Batiste, and Kamasi Washington, as well as a collection of Grammy-nominated and-winning artists including Samara Joy, DOMi and JD Beck. The lineup also includes Big Freedia, Thundercat, DJ Pee .Wee (a.k.a. Anderson .Paak), Big Gigantic, Alfa Mist, Cautious Clay, Durand Jones, and The War and Treaty.
It’s an annual tradition for the festival to host special ensembles. And this year’s festival will include Newport Jazz artistic director Christian McBride’s annual Jam Dawn, MoodSwing, Scary Goldings featuring John Scofield, Superblue, Orrin Evans Quintet and the Bill Charlap Trio.Â
With Memorial Day Weekend right around the corner, Newport Jazz Festival organizers announced some exciting new additions to the lineup that include JOVM mainstays The Soul Rebels featuring Rakim and Talib Kweli, Adi Oasis, Angel Bat Dawid & Tha Brothahood, Claudia Acuña, and more. A full list of the complete lineup is below.
3-day, 2-day and single-day tickets, as well as 3-day, 2-day and single-day parking passes are currently available through DICE. Full pricing is listed below. Children under 10 are free with a maximum of 2 children attending per ticketed adult. Children 10 and over will need to purchase a full priced admission ticket. For more information go to https://dice.fm/promoters/3gng
TICKET PRICING
3-Day Full Price General Admission: $281.19 (includes fees)
2-Day Saturday & Sunday General Admission: $193.64 (includes fees)
Single-Day General Admission: $100.94 (includes fees)
3-Day Parking: $69.01 (includes fees)
2-Day Parking: $46.35 (includes fees)
Single-Day Parking: $25.75 (includes fees)
NEWPORT JAZZ 2023 LINEUP
Friday
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead with Kamasi Washington
Kamasi Washington
DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak)
Soulive
DOMi & JD Beck
Immanuel Wilkins Quartet
Big Freedia
Alfa Mist
Butcher Brown
Endea Owens & The Cookout
Lakecia Benjamin and Phoenix
Julius Rodriguez
Saturday
Jon Batiste
Thundercat
Big Gigantic Does Jazz
Christian McBride’s Jam Jawn
Charles Lloyd New Quartet
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily
Julian Lage
Superblue: Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter with Nate Smith & Huntertones Horns
Orrin Evans Quintet
The War and Treaty
Keyon Harrold
James Brandon Lewis
Sunday
Herbie Hancock
Diana Krall
Samara Joy
Redman, Mehldau, McBride, Blade: A Moodswing Reunion
Scary Goldings featuring John Scofield
Cimafunk
Cautious Clay
Somi
Pedrito Martinez
Bill Charlap Trio
Charles McPherson Quintet
NEW ADDITIONS
The Soul Rebels featuring Rakim & Talib Kweli
Marcus Miller
Dave Holland New Quartet
Adi Oasis
Derrick Hodge
Armstrong Now: Louis at Newport
Angel Bat Dawid & Tha Brothahood
Bobby Watson All-Star Quintet
Jennifer Hartswick & Nick Cassarino Duo
Claudia Acuna
Melvis Santa & Jazz Orishas
Lauren Sevian’s LSQ
Camille Thurman with The Darrell Green Quartet
Matthew Whitaker
Ticket information is available here.
Throwback: Happy Belated 55th Birthday, Rakim!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms belatedly celebrates Rakim’s 55th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 53rd Birthday, Rakim!
JOVM celebrates Rakim’s 53rd birthday — belatedly.
New Video: Sav Killz’s Ode to Summertime in Brooklyn
Born Jamel Hampton, Sav Killz is a Brooklyn-based emcee, who grew up in both Flatbush and Bedford-Stuyvesant, and initially was involved in the city’s hip hop scene as a graffiti writer, known for his tag Savage. In 1997, Hampton started rapping on the block under Savage Killa, based on his graffiti tag, which he later shorted to Sav Killz. Interestingly, Hampton got his professional part as part of the Wu-Tang Clan cypher, honing his skills at 36 Chambers Studio and Restoration Plaza, and he was part of the Sunz of Man and Brooklyn Zu cyphers.
Since the early 00s, Hampton has released a number of mixtapes that have received attention both across the city’s indie hip-hop scene and the blogosphere. And building upon a growing profile, he has opened for the likes of Kool Keith, Jadakiss, Slick Rick, Saigon, AZ, The Beatnuts, Rakim and Foxy Brown. Earlier this year, Sav Killz released his Bangers and B-Sides 2 mixtape, “hosted” by his longtime producer and collaborator DJ J-Ronin — and the mixtape’s latest single is the Camouflage Monk-produced “Brooklyn Summer,” which is centered around a looped, slow-burning, Roy Ayers-like jazz-fusion sample featuring twinkling Rhodes electric piano, big horns and a sinuous bass line over which Sav Killz rhymes about how Brooklyn always keeps it 100 every single day; but underneath that there’s a nostalgia about hanging out in the park on a glorious summer day with your homies, listening to your favorite tunes, while someone barbecues.
Directed by R.Hendrix, the recently released video was shot at Brooklyn Bridge Park during the Team Magnificent Get Low photo shoot and evokes summer days hanging out in the park with the homies.
Live Concert Footage: Soul Rebels Brass Band at Brooklyn Bowl 2/27/16
I was with my very lovely and dear friend C to catch The Soul Rebels Brass Band for the third and last night of their three night stay at Brooklyn Bowl — and unsurprisingly, it […]
Live Concert Footage: Soul Rebels Brass Band at Brooklyn Bowl 2/26/16
I was at Brooklyn Bowl last night to catch Soul Rebels Brass Band for an amazing night of brass band funk and hip-hop as they’re about to finish a three night stop that featured Big […]
If you’ve been frequenting JOVM over the past year or so, you may have come across a post or two about a Rhythm Scholar, a producer and DJ, who first came to my attention with […]