Indie rap icon returns with monstrous album, first in five years

Constantly progressing and unapologetically ambitious, Brooklyn indie-rap icon El-P has returned with Cancer for Cure, his first solo hip-hop album in five years. Since then, the underground rap world that anointed El-P has dissipated, replaced by an anything-goes broadband landscape of endless independent mixtapes and material. But El-P’s sound is hardly irrelevant; his menacing production and complex, katana-sharp flow slice deeper than ever on C4C.

Standout track “Oh Hail No” features fiery, ear-blasting guest verses from emcees Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire and Danny Brown, while lead single “The Full Retard” is a brutalizing banger that obliterates everything in its path. C4C also features guest spots from Interpol‘s Paul Banks and Islands frontman Nick Diamonds, with the latter recently appearing onstage with El-P on the Late Show with David Letterman.

“I just kind of do what’s around, what’s natural. I really don’t believe in going too far out of your way to hunt down somebody to do a song,” revealed El-P in a recent Rolling Stone interview, regarding the more unusual collaborations on his new album. “Everybody on the record is somebody that I’ve had in my head or that I’ve had in my life that’s been helping me in the way that I think about music.”

By RJ CUBARRUBIA

Cancer for Cure is out May 22nd on Fat Possum.

From RollingStone.com

Pre-Order Cancer4Cure here.

El-P’s “Moon” Official Trailer

Click here to view the embedded video.

House Shoes Featuring Nottz, Oh No & MED, Sol Starz, tabi Bonney & Yasiin Bey, DJ Soko Featuring Guilty Simpson & Hassaan Mackey, Piece Of Mind Featuring Abdominal, Monophonics, Mars Today

MIXTAPES & PODCASTS:

Future Soul Records, Soundrotation, Fathom DJ, Reggie Hotmix & DaNeil Mitchell, Kensaye, Echo, 38thnotes.com & more

FREE DOWNLOAD: House Shoes Featuring Nottz, Oh No & MED, “Last Breath”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Sol Starz, “Higher Movement”

FREE DOWNLOAD: tabi Bonney & Yasiin Bey, “Chop Chop”

FREE DOWNLOAD: DJ Soko Featuring Guilty Simpson & Hassaan Mackey, “Stand Up”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Piece Of Mind Featuring Abdominal, “Rhyme Training”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Monophonics, “There’s A Riot Going On”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Mars Today, “The Re-Mixtape- Ms. Fat Booty”

PODCAST: Future Soul Records, “Radioshow Episode 17 Featuring Daz-I-Kue”

PODCAST: Soundrotation, “Peace Be Still”

PODCAST: Fathom DJ, “Fallscapes”

PODCAST: Reggie Hotmix & DaNeil Mitchell, “Club Insomnia”

PODCAST: Kensaye, “Reformatted Classics”

PODCAST: Echo, “5-15″

PODCAST: 38thnotes.com, “The Bay Abridged Spring 2012 Mixtape”

Gangrene member granted full access to Dolemite‘s archives for OhNoMite & Collaborates with Alchemist, MF Doom, Evidence, Roc Marciano, Guilty Simpson, Termanology, Eric Sermon, Sticky Fingaz, Big Pooh & Phife Dawg

Following two successful collaborative efforts alongside fellow producer/rapper The Alchemist as the power duo Gangrene -2010’s Gutter Water and 2012’s Vodka & Ayahuasca- and the 2011 gem with The Alchemist as Gangrene & Roc Marciano, the Greneberg EP; The Oxnard, California based beat-smith and emcee Oh No returns for a solo mission.

Oh No (born Michael Jackson; younger brother of Madlib and son of singer Otis Jackson) was granted unprecedented access to the Rudy Ray Moore / Dolemite audio archives and given free rein to slice, dice, chop and sample his way through the classic-yet-absolutely-filthy catalog.

He was able to use legendary material from The Human Tornado, Petey Wheatstraw, the Dolemite Soundtrack and more, plus a multitude of previously unreleased and alternate acapellas and instrumentals. The end result is Ohnomite, a 19 track head-banging extravaganza of sloppy funk, dirty soul, and brainy lyricism, all aimed at one thing- making your head nod and your ass shake.

And when you add to that guests spots from the likes of MF Doom, Evidence, Phife Dawg, The Alchemist, Erick Sermon, Rapper Pooh, MED, Guilty Simpson, Roc Marciano, Sticky Fingaz, Chino XL, Roc C, Prozack Turner, Termanology, Frank Nitt and more, and you are left with a one of a kind album from a one of a kind musician. Ohnomite- 19 songs of pure whoop ass from Oh No and Dolemite!

OHNOMITE WILL BE RELEASED ON 6-5-2012

Group Therapy Goes Online, Your Facebook Worth, Newsweek Kindles Controversy Over “Gay President” Cover, Your Mom On Social Media, The Internet Changes How We See History & more!

Want to Talk it Out? This Startup Puts Group Therapy Online for $9.99

What Are You Worth to Facebook? Val-You Calculator Knows

In-Flight Calling: Coming Soon to an Airplane Near You [VIDEO]

Newsweek Kindles Controversy Online with ‘Gay President’ Cover

This Is Your Mom on Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]

Facebook Confirms New $34-38 Share Price

Thirst Aims To Slake Your Hunger For Relevant Twitter Content

The Junkman’s Dilemma: How The Internet Has Changed How We See History

Personalized Music Video Service Cull TV Acquired By Twitvid, Cull CEO Departs

Smule Finally Makes Their Android Debut With The Auto-Tuning Songify App

SaneBox Adds Smarter Reminders, Lets You Snooze Emails, Sync Reminders To Calendars

Apple Poised To Keep The “Pro” In MacBook Pro, Says Rumor

Americans Now Spend More Time On Facebook Mobile Than Its Website

More than 100 industry experts addressed current trends

Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, RIAA, Brett Gurewitz honored

Music business association NARM and digitalmusic.org, the virtual home of NARM’s digital initiatives, brought together 1,000 professionals from the commerce and content sectors of the music industry for Music Biz 2012 last week at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. Featuring more than 100 speakers from the highest levels of the music industry, the event provided attendees with all the information they need to harness current trends and increase sales.

The event kicked into full swing with the Opening Session Breakfast, during which Topspin Media CEO Ian Rogers conducted the keynote interview with INgrooves Fontana CEO Robb McDaniels. The conversation was recorded for an upcoming episode of Rogers’ “This Week in Music” web series. Also during the Opening Session, NARM President Jim Donio presented the Presidential Award for Sustained Industry Achievement to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and announced NARM and digitalmusic.org’s new music industry events alert service. Rachelle Friedman, Chair of the NARM Board of Directors, then awarded the Independent Spirit Award to Epitaph Records Founder/Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz and announced the results of NARM’s Board elections.

NARM and digitalmusic.org also introduced App Alley, a popup demo and exhibit showcase that ran throughout the day on Wednesday, May 9, and featured top music technology companies such as Spotify, Mashery, Microsoft Xbox LIVE, Thefuture.fm, Indaba Music, Bandsintown, and more. To get a taste of how it went, click here to watch a video recap.

Other popular events at Music Biz 2012 included the Spotify Developers Meetup, the Record Store Day 2013 Town Hall, and the Urban Music Meetup as well as one-on-one meetings and break-out sessions such as “Apps, Developers, and the Technology of Music” and “Creative Collaboration – Outsourcing in the Digital Age.” The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) also held a roundtable on the International Music Registry (IMR) and Copyright Infrastructure in the Digital Environment, Hypebot presented three special sessions, and more. Click here for pictures from throughout the week.

The event concluded with the Awards Dinner Party on Thursday, May 10, during which global superstar Katy Perry received the Artist of the Year Award, delivering a knock-out speech while sporting a new goth-inspired look, and Lionel Richie was presented with the Chairman’s Award for Sustained Industry Achievement. Click here to watch Katy Perry’s acceptance speech or here for Lionel Richie’s. The gala began with a star-studded red carpet featuring other celebrities such as R&B singer and TV star Brandy, Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz, Rock ‘n Roll royalty Lisa Marie Presley, Mike Shinoda and Dave “Phoenix” Farrell of Linkin Park, American Idol Season 8 Winner Kris Allen and pop culture maven Perez Hilton, and ended with a dance party hosted by DJ-to-the-stars DJ Cassidy. Click here to see a time-lapse video of the red carpet.

“We couldn’t be happier about the success of Music Biz 2012 and we are already brainstorming for ways we can top ourselves next year,” said Jim Donio, President of NARM and digitalmusic.org. “The past year has given us many reasons to be excited about the future of the music business, and this convention provided the perfect forum for our attendees to see how they can maximize these possibilities in the year ahead.”

“Of course, Music Biz 2012 isn’t the only thing we do all year, and NARM and digitalmusic.org members can look forward to more installments of our Music Start Up Academy, Entertainment & Technology Law Conference, and Online Seminar Series, as well as our continued support of Record Store Day and our best-in-class Product Platform database,” Donio continued. “Our next Music Start UpAcademy sessions will take place in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 7, so stay tuned to the NARM and digitalmusic.org websites for more info.”

Hey Internet Lovers,

Now in its 5th year, Internet Week New York is a week-long festival celebrating NYC’s thriving industry and community, here is how to partake:

Twitter

Let us know what you’re loving about the festival, we can be found @internetweek and use the official hashtag #iwny.

Facebook

You Like us, right? Prove it on Facebook.

Livestream

There’s so much great content going on at Internet Week NY’s 82 Mercer HQ, that it’s almost impossible to catch it all if you’re in town and definitely impossible to be there for any of it if you’re in Chicago. This is why we’ve partnered up with our friends at Livestream, who are bringing almost all of our content from HQ to you for free at new.livestream.com/iwny.

The Internet Week NY App from Slalom Consulting

We’re big fans of having fun, being organized, and staying busy—and the Official Internet Week NY app from Slalom Consulting will help you to do all three. Whether you’re running from event to event, watching the Livestream from our HQ, or keeping track of your schedule, Slalom’s app will keep track of your personal festival experience so you don’t have to! The app can be downloaded for Android, iPhone, or Atari.

IWNY Official Meetup Tool, Crowded Room

Crowded Room is a location-based mobile service that connects users who frequent similar places, have shared interests and mutual friends. The app digitally identifies common bonds between people who go – or might go – to the same places and puts personality to the faces in a crowd to make socializing, networking and dating easier. The app is available in the iPhone App Store and Android Market.

Uber

Since we have more than 200 events, getting around is definitely something to think about—but not with Uber! If you’re an HQ passholder, all you need to do for 50% off a chauffeured ride to or from our 82 Mercer HQ is download the app and use the code IWNYUBER. If you’re one of the lucky Insider Pass Holders, you’ll be automatically credited $50 to your account using the code we provide you with in your Insider Pass Tool Kit. Why are you still reading this? You should be dowloading Uber on iPhone or Android!

GroupMe

You know we like to keep in touch, so using GroupMe to talk to all of your festival friends is perfect! You can coordinate your plans to go to the Make it Matter Party from the CM Summit while simultaneously gossiping about your hair and makeup for The Webutante Ball.Download GroupMe for iPhone or Android and get yourself a crew.

Instagram

You’ve probably heard about the Design Within Reach contest where you can win you a $1000 gift card to DWR by taking pictures of the DWR Lounge or Cafe in our HQ, but just to make sure you’re sending us all of your dramatically filtered pictures of Richard Blakeley at The Webutante Ball—tag your photos #iwny and follow us at InternetWeek.

Don’t be shy, we want to hear from you! So make sure you get in touch during the week on Facebook or Twitter, because everything that happens at Internet Week…stays on the Internet forever.

See you on the Interwebs,

Team Internet Week NY

The 9th Annual Festival will be held during 2 days in 3 markets (LA Area, Bay Area and NYC/NJ) featuring reunions by Bone Thugs In Harmony, Salt-N-Pepa, The Hit Squad (EPMD, Redman, Keith Murray K-Solo and Das EFX), just added: Common, joined by Slick Rick, Murs + Fashawn, Naughy by Nature, Kid Cudi, Wiz Khalifa, Nas, J.Cole, Ice Cube, Nas, Mac Miller, The Diplomats, Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Tyga, 2 Chainz, Missy Elliott with Timbaland, Prodigy and even more talent to be announced.

Fusicology.com is proud to once again be a media partner for Rock the Bells and all Guerilla Union Events

Gensu Dean featuring 7even Thirty & Homeboy Sandman, Brian Culbertson featuring Vivian Green, Casual, Kool Keith featuring The I.M.O, Hammock House presents Hector Lavoe, Larissa Ness, The Endangered

MIXTAPES & PODCASTS:

Spasmodic Radio with DJ Doc & Jodine, DanceFloor Mayhem, Cool Nutz, DJ Cocoe, J Boogie, Ernie Reyes, Showbiz & AG, The Practice Room

FREE DOWNLOAD: Gensu Dean featuring 7even Thirty & Homeboy Sandman, “Ramesses”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Brian Culbertson featuring Vivian Green, “Still Here”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Casual, “Rock My Shit”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Kool Keith featuring The I.M.O, “Extra Thoughts”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Hammock House presents Hector Lavoe,

“Mi Gente (Louie Vega EOL Remix)”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Larissa Ness, “Let It Go”

FREE DOWNLOAD: The Endangered, “Calling On You”

PODCAST: Spasmodic Radio with DJ Doc & Jodine, “Spasmodic Movements Radio”

PODCAST: DanceFloor Mayhem, “DJ Tronic May Deep House Mix”

PODCAST: Cool Nutz, “The Cook Up”

PODCAST: DJ Cocoe, “The Illout Show 15: Buggin’ Out B-Sides”

PODCAST: J Boogie, “Night Moves”

PODCAST: Ernie Reyes, “Project Morelos”

PODCAST: Showbiz & AG, “Pre-Loaded”

PODCAST: The Practice Room, “Forward Listening 25″

Following up after her Open Mic Tour, Los Angeles-based Spoken Word artist Brooke Jean releases her poetry visual “Falling Whistles”. Brooke Jean is assisting in the cause to help bring awareness to one of the many secretly kept issues around the world.

Efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo to stop the use of young children involuntarily fighting in wars are still present day issues. Young boys forced to the frontline of war with whistles as their form of protection. While guns are given to most who were raised in this murderous mind state.

The non-profit organization Falling Whistles created the symbolic whistle to spark conversation among those who are not informed of these war crimes. Proceeds are given to this organization to keep these children educated, housed and fed.

Brooke Jean, “Falling Whistles”

Click here to view the embedded video.

From Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner:

Recently Hip Hop lost a pioneering figure and legend Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch of the Beastie Boys. There’s so much one can say about him ranging from his pioneering status of being a member of one of the first successful white acts in Hip Hop (they sold more than 40 million albums) to his activism around Tibet and their independence movement and more recently around Occupy Wall Street.

It was pointed out by writer Dave Zirin that Yauch who had been battling cancer for the past 3 years was part of that infamous March last fall across the Brooklyn Bridge when police were shown beating and arresting over 700 protestors. Yauch risked arrest and bodily harm that day in his participation.. He was in the middle of cancer treatments when he marched.

We can talk about Yauch coming out of Punk Rock culture and and how there’s a rich and undervalued history that shows how early Hip Hop and Punk found kinship and natural alliance as members of both genres felt alienated and disenfranchised by society and back then,  a disco laden, formulaic music industry.

We can talk about Yauch being part of a crew who under the musical production of Rick Rubin as writer Dan Charnas recently noted, helped usher Hip Hop from the Beat Box era to the sampling era. We can talk about how Run DMC introduced the world to the Beastie Boys and later the Beasties introduced the world to Public Enemy.

We can talk about Yauch branching out and becoming a skilled music video producer and film director. He founded  Oscilloscope Laboratories, an independent film production and distribution company based out of New York City.

Adam did great things. He accomplished much… and those who knew him personally described him as serious, sensitive, genuine and a really cool guy. He will definitely be missed.

Above and beyond his music career and activism, for many in the Hip Hop Generation Adam’s death  underscores a very disturbing trend. Him dying at 47 is increasingly becoming commonplace where many of our icons, peers, family and friends are barely living to 50. In the past couple of years we’ve lost many legends including Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, J-Dilla, Guru,Professor X, Big Pun, Poetic, DJ Screw, Heavy D, Eyedea, MC Breed, Pimp C, Big Moe, ODB, Nate Dogg, Bernie Mac, and Special One of the Conscious Daughters just to name a few..

These names are on top of those we know and love who died violently or via accident like Proof, Freaky Tah, Big L, Stack Bundles, Souljah Slim, Left Eye, Aaliyah, Dolla, M-Bone, Mac Dre, Left Eye and most recently football legend Junior Seau.

If we toss in names like Eazy E, Marvin Gaye, 2Pac and Biggie the names of untimely death is a long one.

Yesterday someone attempting to be stoic & cavalier upon hearing about the death of Adam, asserted,  ‘Oh well, death is a part of life’..

I responded;  ‘What kind of life is this when so many who we, know, luv and admire are all dying before the age of 50.’

This is not just about people dying at the hands of violence, but so many on the list of names I noted above, are dying from health related ailments. This is unacceptable and should not be ‘just a part of life’. That’s called settling.

During our tribute show around Adam’s death  Paradise Gray of the group X-Clan came on and recounted his friendship with Adam. He also reminded our listeners how the Hip Hop Generation has grown up in a world during the Reagan era when society started dismantling  safety nets. Our generation saw the beginning of repressive forces gutting and further privatizing healthcare and other much-needed services..

Paradise said we are now starting to see the results of that societal divestment with so many people checking out before age 50.

‘Many in Hip Hop never had health insurance’, Paradise said. This is an issue he knows all too well having lost two of his groups members to untimely health related death, Sugar Shaft and Professor X.

It’s not just health insurance when your sick, but the ability to go to the doctor, get routine check ups and be educated on ways top prevent early disease. Paradise said over the next 10 years things will get worse, because many never really took care of themselves or had the opportunity or resources and as a generation hits their late 40s and then 50s illnesses will start to emerge and yield serious consequences.

We lost Adam to cancer, but in recent times we’ve some like artist/activist DJ Kuttin’ Kandi and pioneering photographer Ernie Paniccioli who have been saddled with massive medical bills after getting sick. Last year we were all out collecting money Ernie who was diagnosed with cancer as well as for the Father of Hip Hop Kool Herc who suffered from severe kidney stones and had no health insurance.   Kandi who was recently had her heart stop and had to get emergency surgery is raising money for her care HERE

In the wake of Adam’s passing, the Hip Hop Generation has much to reflect upon. The Black Panthers who were a couple of generations ahead of us, had the good common sense to open up free health clinics for the community. This act may have saved countless lives. We within Hip Hop need to step our game up in a big way and take the vast amounts of money and resources we have access to and follow suit. We should do this for ourselves and do this for those in our ranks who are ailing. We should do this in memory of Adam who we saw emerge as a keen activist, generous and thoughtful man….

RIP Adam MCA Yauch

Words by Davey D

Content’s Morphing. Are You?

Contentric 2012 Takes Place In Los Angeles On June 13th!

Contentric 2012 examines how TV, books, movies, news, video, music, games and other forms of content are being transformed . Here’s a glimpse at what we’ll cover:

From Markets to Ecosystems. Content markets are being replaced by ecosystems — closed systems controlled by gatekeepers like Apple, Amazon, Google, Comcast and so forth. These changes have profound implications for consumer access and privacy, as well as how content is distributed and monetized.

The Price of Free. Content providers have unwittingly convinced consumers that content should be free: by slavishly giving it away; and by creating perfect digital copies that consumers rip off with impunity. Unless content creators can create business models that entice consumers to pay, the music industry’s debacles will be repeated in movies, television and other content arenas.

Reinventing Television. Television is in greater flux than at any time since its invention. Cable providers want to continue to sell profitable packages encompassing hundreds of channels; programmers want to sell content a la carte, and consumers are increasingly demanding it. How will television be reinvented?

Marketing and the Rise of Social Content. As Facebook eats up an ever greater portion of online ad revenue, marketers and brands are rethinking their marketing — moving from static banner ads to original content with a high probability of going viral. A look at the state of the art.

Content in the Cloud. Content tied to a single platform is disappearing. How will content creators remain relevant and profitable in a world where other distributors have the power?

The Death of Gutenberg? Like it or not, the market for printed books will continue to shrink for the foreseeable future. But the disappearance of paper also radically decreases the cost of production, allowing publishers to re-calibrate their royalty formulas; and some authors are already profiting big time from their ability to market and price.

Movie Projections. On the surface, the 2011 box office was solid, with receipts slightly above 2010. But there are other worrisome trends: a badly sagging DVD market; rampant piracy; a topping for 3D and a growing tendency of many consumers to bypass the movie theater entirely for their big screen TVs.

Music: Rent or Own? In a world where services like Rhapsody and Pandora provide millions of curated tracks of music for a low monthly subscription, owning music never looked less compelling. That’s especially true for a younger generation of users that rarely pays for its songs. A look at how the music business

None of the News is Fit to Print. If books are dying, newspapers and magazines are the walking dead. To survive in the twenty years, print publications must radically rethink their business models — eliminating printing presses, walling off their content online and even becoming loss-leaders for more profitable online enterprises.

Whither Consoles? Traditional console games are increasingly being supplanted by downloads, mobile and social games, making the console’s future in the living room tenuous. At the same time, Microsoft has demonstrated that adding new features to X-box — motion and voice input, ability to replace set top boxes — can extend their lives.

Ready to Register? Go here.

Register by May 12 and save 30%!

Join the leaders who are innovating, shaping and defining the the future of content.

Soundset Appearance and 22 North American Dates in Support of Upcoming Skelethon LP Out in July 10th on Rhymesayers Entertainment.

Renowned rapper and producer, Aesop Rock, is preparing to wax poetically to throngs of fans across North America this summer as he makes his way across the continent touring in support of his upcoming release, Skelethon. The New York-bred, San Francisco-based master of all flows atypical is set to kick off his tour, along with Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz, July 13^th in Los Angeles and will traverse across the US and Canada through August.

Aesop Rock’s upcoming tour directly follows the July 10^th release of his sixth LP, Skelethon on Rhymesayers Entertainment. This release not only sees the artist back rapping on his own (after multiple collaborations with Felt, Hail Mary Mallon, The Uncluded, and more) but also marks his first wholly self-produced effort.

Aesop’s new album follows in the wake of several deep personal losses and highlights subject matter that deals with the sometimes-futile ways people try to cope with serious issues. While the sounds are familiar, we see Aesop venturing in some exciting new directions with guest appearances from indie rock archetype, Kimya Dawson, as well as Allyson Baker of Dirty Ghosts, Hanni El Khatib, Nicky Fleming-Yaryan,Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz and the Grimace Federation. Aesop will assuredly amaze concertgoers with his lyrical algorithms and starkly raw live energy.

San Francico-based producer and live beat maker Edison will support on the full tour with Seattle rap duo Dark Time Sunshine opening on US dates only. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 11th.

AESOP ROCK W/ ROB SONIC AND DJ BIG WIZ – TOUR DATES

5/27     Shakopee, MN             Soundset Festival

SK Planet today launched MusicBunk, an Android and iPhone app that offers instantaneous, effortless and social music discovery. MusicBunk allows users to share music with friends, have discussions based on what they are listening to and easily purchase new tracks to add to their personal music libraries, all from their mobile device.

Over 10 billion songs have been sold on iTunes, and the average person has 2000 to 5000 songs in their personal library. MusicBunk leverages these songs and libraries to help users find new music and build connections with friends, fusing the listening experience with social networking to provide the next phase of music discovery.

Similar to the experience of sharing and enjoying music with a roommate, MusicBunk helps music lovers discover great music with their friends. MusicBunk lets users express their musical tastes by sharing favorite songs, artists, albums and playlists, giving meaning and context to their choices with the option to comment on songs that they are currently listening to. App users can see and sample friends’ iTunes music libraries, listen to songs from their own music collection or sample and buy songs through the iTunes Store. Users discover new tunes by browsing a friend’s music collection sorted by “liked” songs, recently downloaded albums or artist name.

Integrated with Twitter and Facebook, listeners can easily share their favorite songs and music discoveries. Users can connect with friends on MusicBunk through their phones’ contact lists, Facebook or a username search. The app also offers a “music match” feature that scans the MusicBunk community to find people with similar tastes in music.

MusicBunk is a free Android and iPhone app available for immediate download at the Apple App Store and Google Play.

To watch Vinyl Throw, a MusicBunk video, go here.

Become a fan of MusicBunk on Facebook.

For more information about MusicBunk, go here.

For more information, please go here.

Twitter says goodbye to MCA, Nokia gets hit with a lawsuit, Yahoo CEO could lose his job, Facebook Likes just got cray-cray, Skullcandy presents new Sound Hesh headphones, Gmail now translates emails written in different languages, find out who Googled you, Obama vs. Romney in the Social Showdown, the FBI wants wiretap-ready social networks soon & more!

Twitter Says Farewell To Adam “MCA” Yauch

Nokia Weighs In On Investors’ Class-Action Lawsuit: It Has “No Merit”

Cooking The Books: Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson’s CS Degree “Error” Should Cost Him The Job

Facebook Likes Just Got Cray Cray

Skullcandy Supreme Sound Hesh Headphone Review: Like Vs. Love

2012: Year of the Online Political Ad [INFOGRAPHIC]

Gmail Now Translates Emails Written in Different Languages [VIDEO]

Who Googled You? This Website Knows

Beyond Craigslist: 10 Sites for Apartment Hunters

Apple Fights to Keep Steve Jobs Testimony Secret [VIDEO]

Google Translate Beat Boxes When You Type This Gibberish

Is Too Much Tech Bad for the Modern Teenager? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Meet Signal, the Instagram of Citizen Journalism

Your Instagram Photo Could Win You a Trip Across the World

Obama vs. Romney: The Social Showdown

Religious Sites Are Greater Security Risk Than Porn Destinations [STUDY]

FBI Wants Wiretap-Ready Social Networks Soon [VIDEO]

Original Fakes: The Top 15 iPhone 5 Concepts We’ve Seen So Far

Stream this week’s Spasmodic Movements Radio for Fusicology!

Most African-Americans struggle to trace their ancestors past Emancipation, as slavery erased names and family ties with brutal efficiency. But in this Sunday’s episode of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on PBS, musician John Legend discovers the extraordinary lost story of a free black ancestor in his family’s past.

The research teams on Finding Your Roots, the TV series that explores race, culture and identity through the genealogy and genetics of some of America’s best-known personalities, were able to trace Legend’s ancestry back to his fifth great-grandfather, a man named Peyton Polley. Polley was born a slave around 1797, but he was freed in Kentucky by his owner’s will. Polley’s children remained in slavery, however, until his brother managed to buy their freedom and move them to Ohio in 1849. What happened to the Polley family after that was horrific: slave catchers, kidnappings, a prolonged legal battle and, finally, freedom again.

This Sunday’s episode of the series, which premiered on March 25 and runs through May 20, tells the incredible stories of the free black ancestors of both Legend and comedian Wanda Sykes. Meanwhile, Dr. Gates and his 98-year-old friend Margarett Cooper delve into the mysteries shrouding the free people of color in their family trees.

Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the PBS series that explores race, culture and identity through the genealogy and genetics of some of America’s best-known personalities, amps up the star power in its five remaining episodes. In upcoming weeks, Professor Gates unveils surprising facts about The Avengers co-stars Robert Downey, Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson, Oscar nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal, along with John Legend, comedian Margaret Cho, and actors Adrian Grenier and Michelle Rodriguez.

Finding Your Roots made headlines since it premiered on PBS last month. News that entertainer Harry Connick, Jr,’s privateer ancestor captained a ship called the Rattlesnake (“That’s badass,” Connick exclaimed), that media icon Barbara Walters and education visionary Geoffrey Canada both had name changes in their families, and that award-winning actors and married couple Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon are also distant relatives fueled spirited national discussions about our shared history as Americans. Gates promises future reveals in the series that will keep viewers surprised and riveted.

Brooklyn Bodega, producers of the annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival (BHF), are proud to announce that legendary Brooklyn MC, Busta Rhymes will be headlining the 8th Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival.

*BHF tickets have gone on sale to the general public online via Eventbrite*

Festivalgoers from 2011 will remember Busta’s show stopping cameo with long time collaborator and friend, Q-Tip. The Flatbush MC was part of Q-Tip’s “Friends” and helped launched The Festival’s ” …..and Friends” concept where headliners are carefully chosen to not only reflect the mission of the Festival but also to be honored by it.

Brooklyn Bodega wanted to work with Busta as his 20+ year career is as rare in Hip-Hop as is his signature style. From forming Leaders Of the New School to collaborating with Chris Brown, Busta has set the standard for creating a fortified and powerful career that has helped Hip-Hop grow and evolve from the streets of New York to the most powerful voice on the planet.

Brooklyn’s own Trevor Smith has endured multiple deals, group break ups and the ever fickle admiration of fans and critics. No other artist has been able to touch so many spheres in Hip-Hop. From working and signing with Dr. Dre, mentoring artists like Roc Marciano to now joining foster with Lil Wayne‘s YMCMB roster.

While Busta is know for his hits like “Whoo Ha“, “Put Your Hands When My Eyes Can See“, “Another Case of the PTA” with Leaders Of The New School, and a host of others, he also worked extensively with the likes of the late James “J Dilla” Yancey, The Bomb Squad (Public Enemy, Ice Cube) and The Large Professor. His connections to the best and brightest go deeper as for years the late legendary Grandmaster Roc Raida manned the Technics 1200′s as Busta’s DJ.

“One of the most interesting things that kept coming up when we talked about Busta in the office is all the different ‘Bustas’ there were. Busta to me is the skinny kid from ‘Sound Of The Zeekers’. To other cats in the office he is the muse of Hype Williams and the definitive artist of the video era. To younger fans he is the guy who killed it on the Chris Brown song. To purists he was Dilla’s biggest supporter after Q-Tip. Just as Q-Tip was in 2011, Busta is the embodiment of what Brooklyn Bodega and The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival is all about. Diversity, inspiration, longevity all fueled by an undeniable love for the music and culture. Who else has rocked with Hank Shocklee, Q-Tip, Dr. Dre, Dilla, MOP, Janet Jackson, Diddy, Swizz [Beatz], The Fugees, and Nas. People have been asking how we are going to top last year when Q-Tip brought out Kanye. I think we figured it out.”

- Wes Jackson

President & Executive Director, The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival

Just as he did with Q-Tip in 2011, BHF Executive Director, Wes Jackson will be working with Busta and his team to curate a list of “Friends” who will help celebrate Busta’s career and impact.

Moreover, Busta Rhymes’ career will serve as the inspiration for much of BHF’12 week. Events from Tuesday’s Bodega Education Initiative (BEI) to Thursday’s Salute The DJ and Friday’s Dummy Clap Film Festival will reflect the vitamin fortified career of Busta Rhymes.

The Bodega Agency, Brooklyn Bodega’s marketing firm who handles marketing and business development for the Festival, is also working to create a cadre of unique content to support this year’s inspiration. In the pipeline is a Busta Rhymes documentary, an exclusive mixtape and a webisode series.

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Dates for the 8th Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival are July 9th-14th, 2012.

Tickets are available for individual dates of the Festival as well as limited weekly passes via bkhiphopfestival.com or Eventbrite

There are a limited amount of early bird tickets available for the Final Day so be sure to clickety click now.

Tickets will soon be available for purchase at retail stores. Locations to be announced.

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For a complete description of BHF ’12 week’s events visit BKHipHopFestival.com or click here

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More artist and venue information to be announced soon!

DATE: Saturday, July 14th, 2012

TIME: 12-8PM

LOCATION: Pier 3, Brooklyn Bridge Park, DUMBO, BK

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About The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival:

As New York City’s largest Hip-Hop cultural event, the Festival showcases the positive aspects of Hip-Hop culture by highlighting Hip-Hop’s legacy as an agent of artistic progression, community building and social change. BHF 2012 events will continue to reflect the full range of Hip-Hop culture, which spans music, film, academics, grassroots empowerment and more.

Stay up on our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BrooklynBodega

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Want to get involved? Here is how:

Sponsorship Opportunities: All interested parties should email Pamela Bishop at pamela@brooklynbodega.com and/or agency@brooklynbodega.com for more information.

Vendor Opportunities: All interested parties should email Amy Collado at amy@brooklynbodega.com and/or vendors@brooklynbodega.comfor more information and fill out the 2012 Vendor Application.

Call For Volunteers: Reach out and come join this dynamic group of cultural advocates by filling out the BHF’12 Volunteer Form.

The 26th Annual JazzReggae Festival on Memorial Day Weekend in Los Angeles is proud to announce the artists on the 2012 lineup. Joining The Roots and Bobby Womack on Jam Day will be Gary Clark Jr., Selah Sue, Sonnymoon and more to be announced! The Reggae Day lineup will feature Shaggy, Tarrus Riley, Collie Buddz, Alison Hinds, Don Carlos, and Cris Cab. With such a collection of talented acts, the 26th Annual JazzReggae Festival will continue its legacy as the premier Memorial Day Weekend celebration of music, art, and culture in LA.

On May 27th, every performance will showcase a unique and intensifying act for this year’s JazzReggae Festival Jam day. The Roots have been breaking contemporary rap boundaries to create their own soulful hybrid of a genre for nearly two decades – making them the exact kind of urban hip-hop and visionary jazz group to headline this year’s Jam Day. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Bobby Womack has been walking along the frontier of soul, funk, rock, and R&B, as an inspiration to generations of artists and fans. Rising Austin-based guitar virtuoso, Gary Clark Jr. channels a reminiscent mixture of legends Jimmy Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan with his soulful croon and his captivating guitar solos. Hailing from Belgium, Selah Sue is a fierce new voice that brings an edgy blend of funk, reggae, and soul. Band mates, Anna and Dane of Sonnymoon define their music by a funky arrangement of sounds, beats, voice, and electric remixes that are sure to bring a unique vibe.

With multiple album successes, five number one hits, and eleven top ten singles worldwide, Shaggy’s performance on Reggae Day will certainly be an unforgettable performance. Tarrus Riley’s music veers in a direction that raises awareness about equality and provides thought-provoking perspective without prejudice in a manner that has been accepted by an adoring public audience since his debut album in 2004.

Since his self-titled debut album went to number one on the Billboard Reggae Chart in 2007, Bermuda born Collie Buddz has continued to take the Reggae beat by storm. The former lead singer of The Black Uhuru, Don Carlos originally laid the foundation of heavy roots and culture and after several genre-transforming transitional periods, twelve solo albums, and hundreds of unique live performances, he’s set to bring his well-developed sound and positive atmosphere to the JazzReggae stage. “Queen of Soca” Alison Hinds is a particularly empowering solo performer who brings her shows to life with mesmerizing dance moves and powerful vocals. Guitar grinding nineteen-year-old, Cris Cab is a singer-songwriter whose music is best described as an innovative combination of hip-hop and reggae sounds.

Tickets are currently on sale at UCLA’s Central Ticket Office and on Ticketmaster.

The Lineup:

JAM DAY, MAY 27:

THE ROOTS
BOBBY WOMACK
GARY CLARK JR.
SELAH SUE
SONNYMOON
MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED!

REGGAE DAY, MAY 28:

SHAGGY
TARRUS RILEY
COLLIE BUDDZ
ALISON HINDS
DON CARLOS
CRIS CAB

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Del The Funky Homosapien & Parallel Thought, The Endagered, Columbia Nights, Apollo Brown & OC, Saukrates Featuring Tasha The Amazon, Damien Marley & Skrillex, Michael Kiwanuka, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

MIXTAPES & PODCASTS:

The GiKu Experience Radio Show, Parallel Thought, DJ Doc, DJ Destroyer, DJ Phsh, Junior & Lil’ Dave, Johnny Popcorn, Jazzface, Razor-N-Tape, House Shoes, Afrolicious, Julius Papp & The Selecter DJ Kirk

FREE DOWNLOAD: Del The Funky Homosapien & Parallel Thought, “Bring It”

FREE DOWNLOAD: The Endagered, “Calling On You”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Columbia Nights, “Feel (George Duke Cover)”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Apollo Brown & OC, “Just Walk”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Saukrates Featuring Tasha The Amazon, “All The Way”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Damien Marley & Skrillex, “Make It Bun Dem”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Michael Kiwanuka, “Home Again”

FREE DOWNLOAD: Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, “Mother In Law”

PODCAST: The GiKu Experience Radio Show, “Episode 11: Betasweet”

PODCAST: Parallel Thought, “Eccentric Breaks & Beats Volume 2″

PODCAST: DJ Doc, “Spasmodic Movements Podcast: Fusicology”

PODCAST: DJ Destroyer, “NuHouz Soul Excursions”

PODCAST: DJ Phsh, “Phsh Tank Volume 4″

PODCAST: Junior & Lil’ Dave, “Eavesdrop Podcast #108: Sy Smith”

PODCAST: Johnny Popcorn, “The Crow”

PODCAST: Jazzface, “Smut”

PODCAST: Razor-N-Tape, “Free Downloads!”

PODCAST: House Shoes, “The Makings Part 1″

PODCAST: Afrolicious, “Afrolicious 5 Year Mix”

PODCAST: Julius Papp & The Selecter DJ Kirk, “The Revival Vol. 1 Sampler”