Think CT Think AFA

TheProtege of Phenetiks " Nothing "

2009-05-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

The official video for The Protege (Phenetiks) - "Nothing", produced by Sketch Tha Cataclysm, Turntables by DJ SirCumference, from the EP "Untitled is hard enough" dropping April 6 2009, on Dirt E....
The official video for The Protege (Phenetiks) - "Nothing", produced by Sketch Tha Cataclysm, Turntables by DJ SirCumference, from the EP "Untitled is hard enough" dropping April 6 2009, on Dirt E. Dutch's Little Ax Independent media label.

www.LittleAx.com

Video was directed, shot, edited and produced in one week by Arjen Noordeman of Elasticbrand, in Brooklyn, NY.
Category: Music

Tags: The Protege Roc One Sketch tha Cataclysm Connecticut Music Video Rap Hip Hop Antfarm Afilliates Phenetiks Waterbury Arjen Noordeman Elasticbrand Little Ax Dirt E. Dutch Deto 22 Brooklyn DJ SirCumference

{Untitled is Hard Enough} Track Chronicles vol.7 "Nothing"

2009-03-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

This is track is most definitely in my comfort zone when it comes to subject matter. Complaining about the current state of hip hop is always a crowd favorite. I feel like rappers in the game today just talk about nothing. They get away with it too. Its not fair to the average MC like me who is above average. This is my anthem. This song lets the listener know WORDS ARE IMPORTANT. MAKING SENSE IS A GOOD THING. If we don't have that then we will be left with a bunch of songs that mean NOTHING. This song became one of my favorites after it was officially complete. DJ Sir.Cumference really showed his ass on this track. His part at the end is like NOTHING I have ever heard before. Thats a good thing. Deto did a great job touching up. And Sketch, You a Retard for this one.

This ends my track Chronicles. THe release for Untitled is Hard Enough is set for April. Hmmmm
"Maybe" I should do a video for this track.

{Untitled is Hard Enough} Track Chronicles vol.6 "Logic"

2009-03-03T11:19:00.001-08:00

Logic is my personal "Thank You" to my Antfarm friends old and new. This beat was hard as fuck to rhyme to. Sketch knew that shit before he gave it to me. N E WAY, I found a way to attack it and its definitely the most lyrical of all the songs. I wanted it to be super lyrical because thats what the Antfarm represents. Originally I was going to have another special guest feature on the chorus but because of deadlines it never happened. I think it came out good, but there is no overall theme to the song. I just wanted to kill it for my people to show them how much they inspire me. It makes sense right? Thats Logic.

{Untitled is Hard Enough} Track Chronicles vol.5 "Sunshine"

2009-02-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

Thats a picture of my late grandmother Rosalee Coggins. Her passing taught me just how powerful the human spirit is. My family is large! When she passed I got to see all of them. Some of them I never met before, some I hadn't seen in years but I got to see them all because everyone went to the funeral. Indeed, my grandmother's passing was tough on everyone. At the same time this terrible event in Coggins family history brought us all together.

Sunshine's theme runs along those lines. Its really about "Fronting", and not being genuine to yourself. The Chorus has a sample with a lady singing "Now Im crying in the sunshine". Think about it who cries when its sunny out? So thats where the concept of perception came about. Everything can look fine on the surface but you may be hurting on the inside. This is one of those tracks where I didn't sugar coat anything and I used myself as an example. I laid some of my insecurities on the line in this one. I got the entire Phenetiks crew to bless it with me so it's what I like to call a Jama-lama.
DJ Sir.Cumference went ridiculous on this project...as to be expected. Deto22 and Roc1 share words of wisdom. And there you have it. I hope ya'll enjoy.

P.S. "Sunshine" has already hit the airwaves on KISS 95.7fm...aint it cool?

2009-02-15T11:40:00.001-08:00

Listen to KISS 95.7 tonight and hear "Sunshine" by TheProtege feat. Phenetiks

{Untitled is Hard Enough} Track Chronicles vol.4 "Pressure"

2009-02-14T18:02:00.000-08:00

Pressure is my anthem for all the peeps who are like "Life Sucks". Some days I be feeling like Yo F@*! work but I gotta do it to eat. So as long as the end result is me eating I cant feel that bad about going a job I don't like. No pressure. This is the song for whoever feels like they cant deal with their current situation. Just remember that people put a lot of pressure themselves and then wonder where it comes from.So keep your day Pressure free. Live Free.
This was probably the easiest song to write because it closely relates to what I complain about on a daily. Metaphorically I wanted the song to represent our road toward our death. Will we let our pressures overcome us and cause death or will we look back on all the pressure and say "it couldn't break me."?
Sketch is a borderline retard for making this beat. I imagine him up at like 3am smoking his last cig like " I got it"(even though he don't smoke)
The most interesting thing about this track is that it took me about an 1/2 hour to write but 7 days to record.

"Fingers" by Phenetiks (Video)

2009-02-03T16:57:00.001-08:00

{Untitled is Hard Enough} Track Chronicles vol.3 "Maybe " Feat. Silentuch

2009-01-26T18:05:00.000-08:00

"Maybe" is my favorite track on the EP because its rare that I or any other MC can put exactly what's on his/her mind onto a track. Sketch gave me this beat first and as soon as I heard it I was like..."I'm gonna kill this shit". Anyway I got inspired from one of my friends who wasn't doing so well. She was very sick and it made me realize that I and a lot of people like me do too much complaining. The only way to get something or to get something done is to do it, no questions asked. If you start complaining about your situation nothing will change because you have already wasted your time telling yourself how shit is not your fault. But this track hits home with me because I have noticed that I have to give myself that boost sometimes in order to get my shit together. I asked SilenTuch to join me on this because I know his energy as an MC and I knew he would bring a different element to the track. He nails his verse as well. While I concentrate on personal attributes of humans, he personifies the "Maybe" as the weak state of hip hop and how MC has the ability to sell out and make their dreams of stardom come true. He also let you know that he is not one of those MC's. Just listen to it and you may find that you yourself are being a little bitch about your current situation. Don't be a Maybe person Be definitive in your efforts, whatever they are. Cuz we can say MAYBE till the Cows come home but shit wont get done.
peace ya'll

{Untitled is Hard Enough} Track Chronicles vol.2 "Awareness"

2009-01-12T12:52:00.000-08:00

My second track is called "Awareness" and its basically about me letting go. As an MC sometimes I find it hard to say exactly what I want. Its difficult because I think about consequences a lot and what people might think about me if they don't understand where I'm coming from. I was aware of that fear and it stopped the best part of hip hop for me, which is having the freedom to get in the booth and say whatever the fuck you want. I'm a big fan of the word Fuck. Fuck it. N E way, I worked extra hard on this track because I knew Sketch had high expectations for it. I re-wrote it about 5 times until I actually let go and wrote what I wanted to originally. With Hip Hop I "Rock to the rhythm and move soul to soul, keep on moving, don't stop NOOOOOOOO"

First We Take Manhattan by Adam Bernard

2009-01-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

Playing a stage in New York City isn't exactly going where no man has gone before, but for the majority of Connecticut hip-hop artists, it probably feels that way. Very few Connecticut emcees get the opportunity to perform in NYC, which is one reason Phenetiks' appearance at The Annex on Jan. 9 is so impressive.

"NY is a comfortable vibe for us and the Phenetiks' sound," says Deto-22, who, along with DJ Sir.Cumference, Protégé and Roc-one make up the foursome. Deto points to another reason they're amped to perform in the City. "We're looking forward to rockin' with Homeboy Sandman" — Homeboy Sandman being one of the most buzzed-about emcees in the Five Boroughs.

For Phenetiks, a lot of their buzz has developed from their live shows. They attribute it to their DJ, Sir.Cumference. Protégé calls him "our innovator," adding, "He comes up with some insane formulas for scratching and adds flair to our tracks." Roc-one, the lone New Yorker in the group (he's from Brooklyn), says Sir.Cumference could be "a one-man show."

Of course, he could be, but with the rest of the crew there he's part of a four-man show that has been improving by leaps and bounds when it comes to their performances, improvements that Deto says have been the result of their time in the local scene.

"I stepped up my 'on stage' after seeing Hawl-Digg of Workforce kill it one night," Deto remembers. "He kills it every night, but on this particular evening we were going on directly after them and he destroyed it. I was like, 'There's no way I'm going up there and doing my usual.' It helped me shake off a few more stage fright pounds. We also see Sketch Tha Cataclysm, The Rising Sun Quest and d_Cyphernauts give their 110 percent every time."

Phenetiks also feed off each other. "The four of us know each others' shit," says Deto, "so it's easy to just go up there and have fun and just let the energy fly."

Protégé adds, "How can someone else enjoy your music if you yourself are on stage and you don't look like you're having a good time? I've noticed that if I'm having fun on stage the crowd usually reciprocates that."

With plenty of crowds reciprocating and NYC calling, Roc has a theory on why more Connecticut artists don't make it to bigger stages, and it starts with them not perfecting their craft while in the state. "I think most cats don't make the transition to performing — period," he states. "It's because they don't believe in their own art and movement, so they remain stagnant."

Stagnant is something Phenetiks aren't. In 2007, only two years after they became a group, they were named one of the "Rawkus 50," a high honor for any underground rap group. Protégé says the group has come to view the entire thing more as a learning experience than the launching pad so many groups were hoping it would be. According to Deto, "We made some friends out of it and figured out some assholes, too."

Look for a lot more from Phenetiks in 2009, as Roc states, "This year is where we take everything we've learned and put it to use at full force. There will be no half-stepping." No half-stepping, indeed, as the crew plans on releasing Protégé's solo album at the start of the year, Roc's shortly thereafter, a few projects Deto's working on with some other members of the AntFarm Affiliates, and then finally a third Phenetiks album. Fans can rest assured that they'll be hitting plenty of stages in support of all of these projects, although as Roc points out, "Ironically, the hardest crowd to please is in CT."

Read Adam's blog at
www.adambernard.blogspot.com

Rising Sun Quest Interview

2009-01-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

{Untitled is Hard Enough} Track Chronicles vol.1 "PROvisions"

2009-01-05T14:06:00.000-08:00

"PROvisions" is the lead off track on the EP "Untitled is Hard Enough". It basically lets everyone know that my confidence as an MC has grown. When Sketch let me hear it for the first time my I got scared because it was so loud abrasive on the ears. So thats where the concept came from.
Its like someone walked into your house unannounced with a boom box blasting on ten. Thats the kind of impression I wanted to make on this track as well as the EP. I let you know who I am as an artist and as a man.
Music in its current state right now is sort of like the picture, Munchkins eating Munchkins. Even though I consider myself a Munchkin in terms of how many projects I have released, I'll still eat any other Munchkins on the block that want to get it twisted. So give your boy a little elbow room. Catch you later when I outline the next track "Awareness"

Phenetiks, Homeboy Sandman, & Sketch Tha Cataclysm

2008-12-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

From All For Show

Grassroots (Hip Hop Revolution) Vol.4

2008-11-02T16:13:00.000-08:00

Hello again, I'm back for another bitch slap on the "Game". I hope at this point everyone who is so kind enough to read this blog gets the fact that I am complaining about all the things that are wrong with hip hop so that we may correct them and revolutionize our current state. If you don't, well ...your an asshole.

Anywho, "the show" or lack there of is one of the reasons why "The Game" is so screwed up right now. When hip hop was in its earlier stages I would drool over the fact that maybe one day I would get to see my favorite artist live on stage. Of course videos and cd's are cool and enough to wet the appetite, but I wanted the real thing.

Ironically enough, I started working for a security company called CSC, doing crowd controll for concerts and specialized events like football games. So my wish kind of came true. I have been to more concerts than the average human will see in 3 lifetimes. Everything from Ozzy to M.O.P, name it and theres a good chance I've seen it. To say the least I've seen some pretty dope shows and some of the pro's who get paid the big bucks deserve it. Others...uhh not so much.

I recently went to a show @ Toad's place in New Haven to support Sketch Tha Cataclysm. And am I gald I only went there to see him, if not I would have been highly dissappointed. Listen, you know your set is bad if I'm at the bar all night watching Sat Night Football and not even drinking. Or when Cig breaks last for 15 minutes and it only takes about 4 mins to smoke.

To protect the innocent and so that I dont create a large insignificant internet beef I will not mention the names of the sloppy fuckers who came after Sketch. They know who they are. And if they dont maybe this blog will make them question their set. Question are exactly what I was left with when the night was over.

Questions like , why do some hip hop groups feel it is necessary to have 1,294 motherfuckers on stage all doing back up vocals during the set? Why do some groups go on stage unprepared? Why would you go on stage and not have your shit tight? Why would anyone go on stage and perform with no energy? Why was this one fat fucker on stage screaming into his mic like I can really understand that whack shit? Why are people who consider themselves professionals in this biz performing over vocal tracks?
WHY? WHY? WHY?

In closing:

As an artist and I use the word loosely, when you do a show you are there to connect with fans or potential fans. If I am at a show I want to see just that, "A show". Try and do a backflip off the stage, and if you cant do that, try it anyway, bust your ass and at least I'll have something to remember about your performance. P_E_R_F_O_R_M_A_N_C_E! The show is about what I get to see along with your music. Hip Hop artists stop sleeping on the show. Stop sleeping on the fact that people who have never heard you before are in the audience and you have a chance to sell your cd. If your set is whack good luck pushin that 24 track piece of garbage after.

Thanks for coming out God Bless and good night.

Back @ IT!!!!

2008-10-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

NEW!!!
Troublemakers: Remixes, Releases, Robots!
Breez Evahflowin and Dirt E. Dutch

Briefing:
Before the anticipated follow up album to the critically acclaimed Troublemakers LP, Breez Evahflowin and Dirt E. Dutch present "Remixes, Releases, Robots!". This release features remixes of tracks off the original album along with brand new bonus cuts and exclusive guest appearances, featuring Mr. Metaphor, L.I.F.E. Long, Emskee, Phenetiks, Kenny Majozi, Sho, and Phase 1. All new production from Dirt E. Dutch, DJ Static, Deto 22, Khrome, and Twang 1. Get it today!

FREE DOWNLOAD:
"4 Wind (feat. Sho, Kenny Majozi, Phase1)"

PURCHASE ALBUM:
Buy at iTunes Music Store (coming soon!)
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Napster
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Ruckus

Tracklist:

Trouble 2.0 (Intro) 0:36

Trouble Anthem (Dirt E. Remix) 2:17

Don't Be Afraid (Dirt E. Remix) 2:31

Careful (DJ Static Remix) 3:37

4 Wind (feat. Sho, Kenny Majozi, & Phase 1) - Breez Evahflowin, Dirt E. Dutch, Kenny Majozi, Phase 1 4:10

No Room 4 Growth (feat. L.I.F.E. Long) (Dirt E. Remix) - Breez Evahflowin, Dirt E. Dutch, L.I.F.E. Long 4:02

Killhumanati (Khrome Remix) 3:32

Repo Men (Twang 1 Remix) 2:39

Manuverin Sound (feat. L.I.F.E. Long, & Mr. Metaphor) (Dirt E. Remix) - Breez Evahflowin, Dirt E. Dutch, L.I.F.E. Long, Mr. Metaphor 2:59

Chains (feat. Phenetiks) (Deto 22 Remix) - Breez Evahflowin, Dirt E. Dutch, Phenetiks 3:25

Ridiculous Choices - Emskee (feat. Troublemakers) (Dirt E. Remix) - Breez Evahflowin, Dirt E. Dutch, Emskee 3:16

TM40 - Change (Troublemakers 4 Obama) 3:42

New Quest Video. "Why I Write"

2008-10-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

The Rising Sun Quest - Why I Write (Official Video) from Arjen Noordeman on Vimeo.

AFA mixtape

2008-10-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

Grassroots (Hip Hop Revolution) Vol.3

2008-10-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

Skills vs. GrindSkills vs. GrindSkills vs. GrindSkills vs. Grind

This blog won't take up too much of your time. I just remembered a statement that comes up frequently when barber shop debates about who's the hottest/dopest/illest/whatever MC. As soon as I corner someone's arguement about how not good their favorite rapper is all I hear is,"Da nigga be grindin B thughh!" by the way shouts goin out to all my T-Hugs in the building. Which building? Yo no Se.

I consider myslf an artist and indeed I am sensitive about my shit. Shit being my material. I sit down for hours at a time and pump out some cool sounding shit for the listener. It is important that I take the time to think about what I am saying , so the listener doesn't lose the point. I dont spend hours perfecting my grind. But should I ?

Let us define "Grind"....1. v,(Gri-'N-Dingh) functionality of a person to maintain homeostasis and survive within one's own confines. 2. A daily regiment of hustling and dooing that quote un quote gangsta shit. 3. A unique system of human lifestyle that includes taking care of buisness."Wow, that brother got three cars, he must be on the grind" Hence our popular phrase"Grinding"

My point is I give credit where credit is due and if you suck you suck. If you were terrible in 93 and still rappin in 08,your still terrible. please do not say, "respect my grind, niggaz been doin it for years B." So what, respect my foot up your ass. Your grind could be strong as fuck, IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU A BETTER MC. It makes your marketability go up, not skill.The two are not directly proportional. I just know that all my hours promoting on myspace has not helped my writing skills, or freestyle in any way. I thank Enter The Cyher for all newly acquired skilzzzzzzz..

I dunno what do you guys think about the almight GRIND?

Quest "Rock The Rhythm" Video

2008-10-07T05:13:00.000-07:00

Rock to the Rhythm (Official Video) from Jose Martinez on Vimeo.

Antfarmaffiliates.com

2008-10-07T05:12:00.001-07:00

Find more videos like this on ANTFARM AFFILIATES

Some dates to remember

2008-10-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

October 5Sunday

*
Sketch opens for Kool Keith!!!!

October 5, 2008 at 7:30pm – Toad's Place Sketch tha cataclysm with DJ Halo and Seme Rock Dooley O Bisc 1 Nickel P Elevated Thoughts DJ Lo Kash and Kool Keith's new crew Project X featuring Keith, Tim Dog, and Marc Live If you get ... Organized by Sketch Tha Cataclysm | Type: Performance You might attend.

October 17Friday

*
ENTER THE CYPHER

October 17, 2008 at 10pm – cOUSIN lARRY'S The Nauts host yet another incredibly dope evening of hip-hop! Organized by d_Cyphernauts | Type: MONTHLY, HIP-HOP, EVENT You have not responded.

October 20Monday

*
Western New England College

October 20, 2008 at 6pm – Western New England College Rocking with the D_Cyphernauts and Expertiz More info to come soon Organized by Rising Sun Quest | Type: hip, hop, show You are attending.

October 24Friday

*
To Be Determined (TBD)

October 24, 2008 at 9pm – Waterbury, CT Got something Planned for this day so don't you go making plans yourself. Organized by Rising Sun Quest | Type: Hip Hop Show You might attend.

October 31Friday

*
Quest w/ 2 LIVE CREW @ Tuxedo Junction/ICON

October 31, 2008 at 10pm – Tuxedo Junction/ICON Quest Rocking With Old School Legends 2 Live Crew. I think I'll break out "FUN WIT IT" LOL Organized by Rising Sun Quest | Type: AFA, STUFF You are attending.

November 5Wednesday

*
Mo Niklz, Sketch, Pruven, and The Protege!!

November 5, 2008 at 7pm – Sacred Heart University The AFA takes over Sacred Heart University once again! Organized by Mo Niklz | Type: performance You have not responded.

November 8Saturday

*
Sketch @ Larry's with Prince Po

November 8, 2008 at 10pm – Cousin Larry's with Edreys, Paulie Rhymes, DJ Halo, Seme Rock. . . Organized by Sketch Tha Cataclysm | Type: performance You are attending.

October 8Friday

*
Six Feet Deep on WPKN/WPKM! Wednesday Mornings 2-7am!!

October 8, 2010 from 2am to 7am – WPKN 89.5fm/WPKM 88.7 & WPKN.org Six Feet Deep on WPKN 89.5fm/WPKM 88.7fm and WPKN.org Wed morning 2-7am! It's my radio show and you will hear AFA as well as local NYC/CT/NJ and national Underground artists. Straight up hip-hop an... Organized by DJ HALO | Type: Radio, Show You have not responded.

2008-09-25T07:33:00.001-07:00

Thursday, September 25, 2008
By Sean Corbett

www.fairfieldweekly.com

There exists a time in our history when the people who loved jazz, funk, R&B, soul, rock and punk began to rap. They were balancing on their heads, flailing their limbs, carrying boom-boxes and making drum beats with their mouths, all in the street. It was the ‘70s, it was the Bronx, and it was a distinctly American phenomenon.

Born out of a hunger for a voice, it was an art form for the oppressed made up of anger, activism, love, relief, rhythms, syllables, graffiti and vinyl—not violence, drugs and bling.

Fast forward 30 years and turn on the radio or walk into a mall. Commercial rap has clouded hip-hop to the point where grassroots groups, local crews and underground indie MCs are the genre’s only hope.

It’s for this reason that people have been turning to the D_Cyphernauts, a duo made up of two Stamford high school teachers named Dave Wooley (aka Othello) and Joe Celcis (aka Nemesis Alpha). They’re a part of the Ant Farm Affiliates, a Connecticut hip-hop crew, and they’re determined to act as worker ants to keep the queen—or in this case, hip-hop— alive.
The D_Cyphernauts are right alongside Sketch tha Cataclysm (the Weekly’s best hip-hop winner in ’08), Rising Sun Quest and Phenetiks (Weekly’s best hip-hop,’07) in terms of quality beats, lyrics and notoriety.

What further distinguishes these men is Enter the Cypher, a local hip-hop fundraiser/showcase/open mic party they started three years ago at Cousin Larry’s in Danbury. Their last show was a benefit for the Big Chief Big Queen Book Project, a literacy program in Treme, New Orleans.

“With this show, we want to change the parameters of what the expectation level is for hip-hop,” says Othello.
Nemesis Alpha, elaborated, “This is a safe place where people can get a better understanding of hip-hop so they’re not so quick to pass judgment on what’s actually an entire culture.”

Meeting with the D_Cyphernauts during their shared free period at West Hill High School, the men talked about struggling to find their voices as teachers in the Bronx even though they felt they were each born to be teachers.

Some of their students and coworkers only know them as teachers, but even in casual conversation, hip-hip is in the way they hold themselves, the way they feed off each other and the way they casually string words together as if every sentence has a beat. They feel the heartbeat of hip-hop and they’re constantly keeping it pumping.

“Since we work together, we can sit down in the same place and write together,” says Othello.

Nemesis started to explain their song-writing process, and he freestyles an explanation too good to paraphrase:

“It can be comedic, it can be socially deep, it can be personal. If we feel the need to say something, we write a verse. We share it and then the other person rides off that. Or it can be hearing a beat. Like, oh, that beat sounds good. How am I going to get on that beat? What do I hear on this beat?

“A lot of the time, one of our [AFA] producers will be like, here’s this beat, what can you do with it? It almost becomes a challenge, like a riddle. It’s like a Rubik’s cube, an open palette. Sometimes you won’t have a song or concept in your head, but the beat will create emotions in your mind, like, I’m feelin’ angry, or I’m feelin’ romantic, and the beat starts talking through you. It’s almost like the beat has a voice. That’s one thing about Ant Farm. It’s not just MCs, we have incredible producers. You can spit all you want, but if you don’t have the beats to create that sound, you’re done.”

Despite the commercial bastardization of hip-hop, Nemesis and Othello are quick to point out some mainstream rappers who are doing it right—Atmosphere, People Under the Stairs, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Immortal Technique—but they know most people get dosed with what’s most readily accessible.

“If you’re just getting Jay Z and ‘Lil Wayne, it’s like an iceberg,” Othello says. “You see that, but you’re missing all this other stuff that’s underneath, which is the foundation of what you’re hearing.”

The history of D_Cyphernauts starts with Nemesis’ close-call with mainstream success. He got “the call” from Arista Records in ‘98, and he and partner Snare were asked to lay down some rhymes for a track from a new female artist, which they were told was about money. The experience seemed like it would be what they’d hoped it would be; they were recording in a Manhattan studio. But lyrical conflicts arose—they wrote about the lessons of slavery and she wrote about stripping for money—and Arista decided not to use their lyrics.

“We were really disheartened,” Nemesis says. “It really kind of put the kibosh on us wanting to be rappers. We’d been going downtown, to little clubs and freestyling. We’d done stuff with Mr. Cheeks, and I’d established myself as a battle MC and a freestyler. But this kind of slowed all that down.”

Meanwhile, Othello was getting back into the world of hip hop, which he’d left after college to pursue teaching, and he was working with a crew at New Sound Beats, a recording studio that had been promised a Terror Squad production deal by rap hero Big Pun.

“That was the battery in our back,” Othello said, “And when Pun passed, that deal fell through.”

Luckily, this is the last point in their story that’s a bummer. Earlier, while working at NSB as a computer technician, Nemesis Alpha was challenged by one of the studio’s regulars to a freestyle battle.

“I ripped him apart,” Nemesis said. “They had no idea that I could do that. I mean I really took him apart. He was all like, ‘Yo I stack paper!’ and I come out with ‘Revolutions of contortions/When I come through with proportions/When my anti-matter makes your bladder splatter/Oh, my God.’”

Othello was there to witness, and the two crossed paths enough after that to know their styles matched up. They were both intelligent, aware rappers with a control over lyrics that many lacked. But it wasn’t until they met again as teachers of the same classroom in the Bronx, in 2000, that they knew it was time to join forces and stay together.

After five years of practice as a New York group, they “migrated to Danbury,” set up shop at Cousin Larry’s and got in with artists like Workforce and Cee Reed. In ‘06, Sketch asked them to join the Rise of the Nomads Tour and the success of that tour led directly to the formation of AFA, the like-minded crew of CT rappers.

“There was this idea,” Nemesis explains, “that this can be a scene that’ll be supported by people.”

And it has been. The third anniversary of Enter the Cypher, last Friday crammed upwards of 70 people into the small club, and almost $300 was put to good, charitable use. Friday at Larry’s was a beautiful thing; young people, old people, a mix of races, some friendly moshing, supportive screams after every rhyme, and an amoebic shifting of about 20 performers sharing the stage—including WarrenWaxx, Expertiz, DJ Halo, Workforce, Dirt E. Dutch, Protege, Sketch and a reunion of Nemesis and his old partner Snare.

“What we have done as a group is really sacrifice quick success to maintain our integrity,” Nemesis says. “A lot of decisions we’ve made aren’t necessarily good for the D_Cyphernauts, but great for the movement. Great for creating a scene, great for encouraging other artists to come out.”

They hear the commercial saturation on the radio, on TV, and they’re peacefully fighting back so that real hip-hop can make a stand.

“I look at people like Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy or Cam'ron,” Nemesis says, “and I really feel that they are not only doing a disservice to the young people who listen to hip hop, they’re ruining it. They’re destroying it. And then they’re wearing these t-shirts that say ‘I Am Hip-Hop.’ It’s intolerable to me. It infuriates me. It’s these kinds of rappers that make people say, if you don’t respect yourself, your heritage, then why should I respect you? And then they look at [‘Lil Wayne], and they see Obama, and they’re like, ‘Arent you guys from the same group?’”

He takes a breath.

“I feel like hip hop is a dying art,” he says. “We don’t have time to let people turn it into the new disco, to do with it what people did to salsa or to jazz. This is a distinctly American art form that’s slowly being destroyed. We’re trying to be a part of the solution.”

Grassroots (Hip Hop Revolution) Vol.2

2008-09-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to Enter The Cypher in Danbury for the 3 year anniversary. So what I was performing, I would have been there to support regardless. You know why? This is what real hip hop is all about.

Not much has changed since I first visited Enter The Cypher. It's still on 1 Elm st in Danbury, you can still find that random drunk guy who wants to debate world politics. You can watch a football game and even shoot a couple of rounds of pool.

What has changed is the scenery. The backyard is under construction, theres a dope new stage, and most importantly D_Cyphernauts have played an influential part in solidifying the AFA at this venue.

Last night I saw a lot of firsts at the place where I actually had my first performance alongside the newly formed Phenetiks crew in 2005. The place was packed to capacity, the entire AFA was in the house including the original D_Cyphernauts. Great! I had my first solo performance flaunting new material produced by Sketch and engineered by Deto22. I looked around and the people who are usually ignoring us at the bar were focused on the stage. May not seem like much but its a first. I saw at least 3 people filming and noticed a couple of bloggers and writers in the crowd. But for the first time ever at Cousin Larry's I saw a Hip Hop Showcase that everyone stayed for, participated in, and enjoyed. This is what Hip Hop is all about and this is how we (Hip Hop) can rebuild for our future.
It may have taken 3 years but who the fuck is counting? Determination. Yeah thats it , Hip Hop determination. See , the AFA was there last night in full force, but some members are there ever third Friday, like D_Cyphernauts. Their determination in maintaining the Cypher is why the results were so great last night.
ETC is the birthplace of the newly formed AFA, it is the "Mecca" for underground hip hop in Danbury. Over the years ETC has been able to attract hip hop acts from up and down the east coast. The longevity of this showcase is proof enough to the asshole that hip hop is not dead. All we ever needed was a spot, some mc's, a few microphones(not really necessary) and there we have it. Hip Hop! It's that simple.Last night was a testament to D_Cyphernauts determination. A packed house full of hip hop junkies all waiting for a fix. New material from different artists. New fans wearing AFA apparel. Where else can you find a community like this? Did I mention nobody gets shot or sucker punched @ ETC.
I salute Nemesis Alpha and Othello for their hard work and dedication.
We are in the midst of a new era of hip hop in CT and on the East Coast period and how ironic is it that it all started at a cypher?
peace.

Special shout outs: Henchmen-Ripz, Mentalcase, J Bello, Al Babblez, Matikhan The Great, Larry, The Bartenders, The Soundman(u know who u are), Dj Halo, D_Lynn, Kiara.

2008-09-01T16:13:00.001-07:00

What up people!!I had a helluva last two days and thought I should hit everybody up about it. . .As part of winning the best hip-hop act category in the Fairfield Weekly, I performed at the 2008 Grand Band Slam at Captain's Cove in bridgeport. The day was loaded with performances from 3pm to 11pm with acts ranging from the funky latin-ness of Cosmic Jibaros to the trippy stylings of Hot Bitch Arsenal to the flaky ass bluegrassy folkishness that was on just before my set out on the pier. . . fucking dope. lol I was joined by my comrades DJ Halo on the one and twos (turntables or record players for the simple minded) and the incredible Seme Rock on the beat box. We took the stage at just about sun down with dark clouds looming over head and a crowd full of hotdog eating former hippies and everyday families with toddlers just dying for some hiphop in front of us. lol The set came off beautifully with superb accentuation throughout from Seme despite me almost killing an audience member with a massive splinter in the middle of "Words and Numbers". I have got to say that it is extremely difficlut to edit the curses out of a multi-syllabic rhyme but it is extremely sweet when you impress 5 year-olds in the crowd. High point: "Virginia Slim" with Halo's beat juggling in the opening and Seme killing the verbal cuts in the close of the song.Immediately after, the whole gang scurried on over to Danbury to take part in the festivities master journalist Adam Bernard put together for Beyond Race magazine at Cousin Larry's. The other acts included the funk singer out of New Jersey Lauren Ianuzzi and her band, recent Source Unsigned Hyper Homeboy Sandman, and Indie-hip-hop mainstay and former Demigod Louis Logic. The crowd was pretty dope and was really supportive and responsive to most of the acts. All of the acts had a focus on performance which hasn't been very common to any of the shows I have rocked recently outside of AFA jawns. My set was a blast man! I was blessed with the opportunity to rock for such a dope crowd. Peace and blessings to my AFA brothers for coming and holding me down. The end of "Revolution. . . " was crazy with like 8 of us freaking it up there. lol High Point: The quartet performance of "I Hate Rappers" with Seme Rock, Sir Cumference, and DJ Warren Waxx on the beat box!! Sorry if you missed it!!After a short rest, I hopped in the Smart mobile today and headed over to Branford for the Branstock Festival. Seme Rock has performed at this joint for the last 5 years or so and he asked if I could join him for some antics. Our opening act was a group of ECW wrestlers which was ummmmmm different to say the least. Seme performed his masterfully crafted vocal percussery for the incredibly diverse peoples in attendance. I had the opportunity to bless his set with a couple verses and added sound effectiness-ing ton. High Point: beatbox version of "Rebel Music"!!So yea, this shit was sooooooo fucking awesome this weekend. Thanks to everybody that came out and supported at any one of the events and/or voted for me in the Weekly. This was incredibly dope for me and the whole AFA as we took the hip-hop category for the second year in the row. There will be a ton of footage from each of these events and pictures and this that and whatever soon so be on the lookout.peace to everybody!!Sketch tha cataclysm.http://www.sketchtc.com
Tags: afa, bluegrassy, cataclysm, folkiness, hip-hop, sketch, tha

Quest & Kardinal Offishall @The Webster Theater Sept 13

2008-09-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

Porter and Chester Car Show

2008-09-01T12:21:00.001-07:00

You folks have probably caught wind on the net already about the Xotic dreams car show that the Antfarm Affiliates provided the sound for at Porter and Chester Institute. As you can see up above DJ Halo is on the 1's and 2's. Later that day DJ Warren Waxx would heat things up and The Rising Sun Quest would perform live. Jenny Boom Boom of Hot 93.7FM came through to represent and host some portions of the event. The bet thing about this event was that it was for a good cause. All the proceeds went to help the fight against Juvenile Diabetes. So we are all winners. (Smiling)Anywho, this blog is about the cars that impressed the AFA. Many were crowned but only 4 will grace this blog an he an eternal link on the antfarmaffilites.com page. (Squad Up )

Jay Scandurra's 2004 Pontiac

There is only one way to explain this car' effect on the eyes. Have you ever checked out a really fly girl or at least what seems to be a really fly chick from far and she gets worse when she gets closer...this is nothing like that. If anything it looks dull from far and is a knockout up close.

On impressive feature on this car is the 3400SFI V6 engine that has blue flames panted on it. Very classy and not overdone by the trick doors and TV's

Jos Ruiz's 95 Honda Civic

Looks tell it all for this car. It was by far one of the most detailed cars I have ever seen. The interior was leather & flawless. Jose shows you what four years of dedication will get you. A ride like no other.

Vivian Rodriguez's 1990 Nissan

One of my personal fav's of the day. Vivians' car was to be desired and envied, it was the only car that could boast that it had waterfalls in the trunk and next to the E-brake. Perfect paint, nice rims, an x box for your entertainment, what more could you ask for? OK a tv in the steering wheel, she's got that too. Anything else.... yeah I thought so.

#1

Javier Rodriguez' 1990 Nissan

Yeah, you see the plain look on his face. That means I have no competition. Its a look of comfort, as if he should be doing an extenz commercial. This car won best in show for the event and rightfully so. Just take a look under the hood.

If that aint enough to get your jaw to drop check this out.

Those skeletons talk to each other and sometimes you. There also very good at Madden 09 . This car has 2x boxes,4 subs, 8 speakers, custom paint. You know whats even better than having a dope car such as this? Having your wife place # 2 in this article . Thats right the two best looking cars were owned by a married couple, talk about Chemistry. E -Harmony aint hook that up.

Im ThePRO....peace and thanks to all the features

Sketch Wins Fairfield Weekly Praise.

2008-08-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

Hip-Hop/R&BSketch tha Cataclysm http://www.sketchtc.com/Sketch tha Cataclysm, born Armando Acevedo II in the Waterbury projects, describes his music as “performance-based, groove-oriented, funky party music.” He began rapping six years ago at Acoustic Cafe open mic nights. Today, he performs almost every week (including every third Friday of the month at the “Enter the Cypher” show at Cousin Larry’s in Danbury), works as a producer every night after getting off work at the new Fairfield Smart Car location, and is a member of the over-arching indie hip-hop crew Ant Farm Affiliates.“In my music, I always need to be talking about something, having some sort of substance,” he says. “There are a billion people who want to rhyme just like Lil’ Wayne, who I fucking despise. It’s like nobody wants to be truthful to themselves.”While trying to be true to himself, Sketch feels deeply connected to the hip-hop of the past. His emphasis on good times (over thug life) and amoebic rhythmic rhymes (instead of snaps, grunts and gunshot samples) are throwbacks to the glory days. “You have respect for what happened, and you try to push forward just like they did,” he says. And Sketch knows his history. When asked to explain the old-school influence in his sound, he says, “There are a few periods in old-school hip-hop, man, and I’ve tried to grab onto a little bit from every era. You go way back when it all began and it’s like DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, Eddie Cheeba or Busy Bee, and they’d go off on the same breakdance beat for hours, man, at a time when nobody spent that much time with the craft. Then you move forward a little to Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, and the Dougie Fresh era, like 1987-ish. You see, Big Daddy Kane would dance, and that’s something that’s not happening with MCs these days. I dance, though.”In fact, he says, “I’ve been rhyming without my shoes lately—with socks or without whatever. A lot of these rappers, they’ll wear, like, Tims [Timberlands] in the middle of summer. With that, I can’t move as much. And the more I move, the better I feel. The more comfortable I feel, the more I just go off.”Keeping with Sketch’s theme of staying true to the fundamentals of hip-hop, we visited Fame City (a legalized graffiti zone off Boston Avenue in Bridgeport) with his friend Warren Waxx (pictured with him), a beat-boxer/DJ also from AFA. After a walk around the walls, the two performed on the fly for kids on bikes and street-artists with paint cans.“People always talk about the four elements of hip-hop,” Sketch says, “It’s like DJ-ing, breakdancing, MC-ing and graffiti art. And graffiti, it’s the visual representation of the audible.”Watch for Sketch’s upcoming projects—one called Indie Rappers Do It For Gas Money, and one based on Maya Angelou’s poetry. You can also catch him at this year’s Grand Band Slam concert, and later on Saturday, he’ll head up to Cousin Larry’s to join Louis Logic, a prominent underground MC from NYC. —Sean Corbett

Go here for all the details....http://www.fairfieldweekly.com/article.cfm?aid=9351

TheProtege and The EP

2008-07-24T05:47:00.000-07:00

The title sounds like a British novel of some sorts, I know. Anyway its as true as I speak English. I have been underground wrapping up my first project entitled "Untitled is Hard Enough". This EP is features production from Sketch Tha Cataclysm, and Deto22. Guest appearances include, Phenetiks and Silentuch. This EP is truly for my Ant Farm Affiliates and will serve as a thank you for inspiring me to keep to help keep hip hop alive. Keep your ears to the street, Im suppose to be wrapping up this project tonight.
Peace Ya'll.

Ill keep the fire nice and tall Quest

Grassroots (Hip Hop Revolution) Vol. 1

2008-06-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

Straight off I would like to say that I am seriously getting tired of the music scene in Connecticut. By scene I mean artists. By artists' I mean all the Tom Dick and Harry's that do music, if you want to call it that. I am very lucky to have the AFA in my life, instead of Tom's Harry Dick. (No Homo)

I'm just having a hard time understanding how there could be so much ego at local venues when your performing there alongside people that are grinding just like you. I try my best to lead by example and do things for other people because I know how it feels to be alone, seriously. So if I support your whack ass album or show because I want to help you, don't you dare look over me as if I'm some sort of groupie peon. The fact of the matter is you need my help and you need that support to keep doing whatever it is you do. I understand this, how come its so hard for others to hop on this train?

I'm going to cover a real life situation and you tell me how you would feel if this happened to you. Ill change the names to protect the innocent but everyone who was there will know what I am talking about.

I go to this event out of pure love for my friend,(we'll call him Longshank), I could have stayed home and blew a load on the couch but I even took a shower and put on cologne for this.Anyway I get there thinking I'm gonna walk in and get started with setup, wait for my friend to get there so we can build about the set that I'm gonna help him with,talk merch and all that good stuff that goes with promoting an album. I walk through the front door and the girl says "I.D.", I show it, she says, "$5" ,which is all good. But I'm suppose to be on stage tonight. I tell her this like," Yo I'm performing with Longshank tonight." Theres no problem and she proceeds to let me go. Next thing you know some regular,fat, Kid Capri lookin mutherfucker comes out of nowhere. In fact my bad Kid Capri, you don't look this bad. Whatever we'll call him BubbleNeck. So BubbleNeck tells me, "You gotta pay the $10 dollar cover fam, Thuhh". For those that don't know, Thuhh is a 14Th century term used by the Africans from Madagascar, which consolidates the sentence DO YOU KNOW WHAT I AM SAYING. THUHH!
Great!

BubbleNeck tells me this so I feed him the same line I fed the girl at the door, " Im with Longshank". He then proceeds to hold up the flyer and tells me I'm not on it. JERK.I already know I'm not on the flyer. I assumed he was special so I told him nicely, "Ohh I'm not performing dolo, I'm just hype for LongShank." By this time I know for sure he's special cuz he repeats himself, to assure me that I am not on the flyer. Then he tries to offer me a deal: Bubbleneck " OK well, just throw me five and carry this flyer and we'll be all good, this is my peoples event...blah blah" I was too busy looking at this chicks ass to really pay attention to what he was saying. For the record I know that when Aerosmith rocks a show they don't just let in Aerosmith and then charge their manager for admission because he/she is not on the FUCKING FLYER.
I'm all set I give him the five dollars cuz whatever the case may be I CAME TO SUPPORT. I was really trying to save that $5 bucks for a beer.

Anyway, after that fiasco, I see another friend we'll call him Uncle Jesse. Uncle Jesse is a sick graff writer and graphic design artist. Like me he comes to event to support. He has a new T- shirt out that I'm wearing right now, so I BUY ONE right in front of Bubbleneck, just to piss him off. Ha!

As I'm building with Uncle Jesse some other character known as Fat Little John With A Gold Bottom Grill walks over. Yeah that's his full name. I'll assume he was one of the organizers involved in the event. Uncle Jesse introduces us, so I tell him who I am he's like,"hi." But he doesn't even look at me and gives me the old frail hand limp dick fagot dap. You know the type where you don't even catch all the hand its just the four fingers and it slides off instead of snapping. I would have preferred a nice manly handshake if you cant get that right. Uncle Jesse starts to elaborate a little more on what it is that I do to try and establish a connection. But this dude is looking over us with this superiority complex, like there's something wrong with his eyes. Whatever I blew it off, If your a musician and you don't want to build with people who are like you theres something wrong. I got the same look from a person who I considered myself cool with that very same night. Now this guy had a pretty hot single on the radio,there were rumors he was on BET. A swagger may be necessary. But this guy who I thought I knew talked to me as if I've never laid down vocals in my life. STOP STUNTIN, WE ARE BOTH AT THE SAME BAR!IN THE SAME TOWN WE WERE BOTH BORN AND RAISED IN, YOU DO NOT HAVE A MAJOR RECORD DEAL,EVEN IF YOU DID, SO WHAT! I have a hard time understanding.....fuck it

The night goes on and Longshank arrives, and he fought valiantly to get my beer money back, but to no avail. Then I find out his set is only ten minutes long. What a bummer, so my hype man duty was not needed, which is understandable......

Now all of this may sound funny but lets analyze the situation. I go to show to support my friend and maybe meet some people but the dude at the door over charges, each act is ten minutes, and the people involved are not interested in anything but themselves. The crowd is 60% artists who feel as though if they clap for someone else they are dick riding. THIS IS A FUCKING PROBLEM WITHIN OUR CT HIP HOP COMMUNITY. STOP! HATING! STOP! STUNTIN!

I have no problem recognizing my level because I know that with hard work I can improve. Artist please recognize your level, if your still rocking the same in state venues your not that important. If we run into each other on the streets while hustling Cd's your not that important. AFA realized that almost 2 years ago. So we helped each other and performed out of state multiple times over. We sold each others material. That's what Hip Hop is about SPREAD LOVE AND STOP BEING A FUCKING ASSHOLE THAT WILL QUIT 6 MONTHS DOWN THE LINE.
peace
THEPROTEGE

Adam B Interview with QUEST

2008-04-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes an artist can just grab your attention through a performance. I had known The Rising Sun Quest for a little while, but it was during a show in Danbury, CT that I realized he needed to be featured on this site. The Waterbury, CT native is part of a collection of MCs and producers called the Ant Farm Affiliates, a crew that has come together to create great Hip-Hop music and attempt to show listeners that there's a lot more out there than current radio playlists might lead one to believe. Quest is currently working on his third solo effort, his first two being Stellar Evolution and Surviving Life, and with every song he writes he has one main objective, "to create dope songs with deep concepts and meaningful lyrics that are in my opinion timeless." Attaining that goal hasn't always been easy, though, as he readily admits "I'm human." This week I'm sitting down with The Rising Sun Quest to discuss his work, the meaning of his name, and how one of his songs has been saving lives.

Adam Bernard: On your MySpace page you have a comma in your name; Quest, The Rising Sun. I don't think I've ever seen that before. What's up with the punctuation?
The Rising Sun Quest: (laughs) Well the name is Quest. I believe I'm the original around these parts unless you can find somebody who got their name before 1994. Quest was originally a rap name given to me by an early rap partner. When it became the name people referred to me as "The Rising Sun" was added as a prefix to make the rap persona sound grand. So said properly there is no comma. It's The Rising Sun Quest. See you don't just say, "Quest is dope." You say "The Rising Sun Quest" is dope. I'm a big fan of astronomy and I love the stars and planets. But the star that means most to us humans is our Sun. So I thought when I became a big rap star I would be the most important one,The Rising Sun.

Adam Bernard: You noted you've been MCing for over a decade. Who have you drawn influences from over the years and how are they reflected in your work and life?
The Rising Sun Quest: I won't go crazy with this one. First off my music reflects anybody who lives life. So people in general inspire what I write. Musically my influences have been Redman, Wu-Tang, Boot Camp, Big Pun, A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, KRS-ONE, Big Daddy Kane, Grand Puba, Gravediggaz, NWA, Kool G Rap, Mob Deep, Jeru, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, etc.

Adam Bernard: One listen to songs such as "Soul Merchant" and "Surviving Life" and it's obvious your content isn't all about partying like a rock star. What are you hoping to say with your music AND what do you feel can be gained by saying it.
The Rising Sun Quest: Well all I ever wanted to gain was the respect of those who hear the music. Whether it be from a street thug, convict, sexy lady, ugly lady, old man, Hip-Hop fan, rock fan or my mom. I want you to hear my music and relate to it. Maybe even see things in a different way. As the Sun it's my job to Shed Light on certain things, pun intended. I think music is very powerful and can be used to help people understand that they aren't alone, that they can do anything and that I'm making music for them always. On Stellar Evolution I have a track called "U Die?" and over the years people have told me that that song has helped them through situations that were awful. It's about contemplating suicide and then actually going through with it only to realize afterward that your situation wasn't worth ending your life over. That song's premise is that no matter how bad you have it, other people have it much worst yet still manage to get through.

Adam Bernard: Coming from a state that's traditionally ignored by the Hip-Hop masses how are you going about making sure songs like "U Die" get out to people?
The Rising Sun Quest: I think the key is to get people to recognize that we have a unique sound and then run with it by labeling it something and then branding it similar to "the Dirty South" or "East coast Hip-Hop." Like if we started calling music from this region "New England Hip-Hop" it would give our style of music its own bit of credibility even though its just "East Coast Hip-Hop" from CT.

Adam Bernard: Finally, Hip-Hop is in a one hit wonder phase with acts like D4L, MIMS, Shop Boyz and Yung Berg, but since music goes in cycles where do you see Hip-Hop going next?
The Rising Sun Quest: Right in the garbage if cats like that keep coming out. On the real, that to me is just pop music. I cant imagine that those radio DJ's enjoy playing that mess. Its possible mainstream Hip-Hop will take a turn for the better. But there will always be dope crews like the Ant Farm Affiliates and many others who will continue to make good music. We may not die rich but well die for the cause.

You can check out The Rising Sun Quest's music at myspace.com/risingsunquest, soundclick.com/risingsunquest & myspace.com/theafaff and some of his crew's thoughts and opinions at theafa.blogspot.com.

posted by Adam Bernard at 7:47 AM

D_Cyphernauts on 88.5FM (Getting Political)

2008-04-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

Random ACT I! (with the AFA)

2008-04-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Sketch on WVOF

2008-04-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Troublemakers on Squeeze Radio with Insight

2008-04-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

Troublemakers Review

2008-04-01T14:13:00.001-07:00

by Marisa Brown

Long a part of the East Coast underground scene, MC Breez Evahflowin and producer Dirt E. Dutch — who also manages to flex his mic muscles a couple of times — joined up together for Troublemakers, which was released on Dirt's own Little Ax Records. What results from their collaboration is consistent, steady album, though one that doesn't always set itself off as extraordinary. Breez's flow is smooth and practiced, able to change cadences and rhyme schemes easily and skillfully, and while his lyrics aren't always as profound as he'd like to think they are ("Your mind is a target/Buying anything that they sell you, blind in the market," he spits deliberately on "Killhuminati"), they're intelligent and intricate and manage to explore a variety of typical underground hip-hop themes (the state of the genre, the desire for success, the rapper's talents) without coming across as predictable or boring. Even more impressively, the duo brings up less common topics without seeming like they're trying to force their lines or ideas. "Repo Man" sets up producer against MC, both of them listing off the sorry excuses of the other for not getting their parts done, and is witty and fun, while "MDLM" manages to discuss the pros and cons of money, a bad break-up, and the drive to pursue music over a simple but effective guitar-and-drum beat. In fact, much of the success on Troublemakers is because of Dirt E. Dutch's expert production (he does it all except "El Matador"), that — while it can suffer occasionally from the East Coast hip-hop syndrome of looping an especially short soul sample so that the beat almost drones, annoyingly — generally works to emphasize the strengths in the MCs voices and nicely set the tone of the album: reflective, warm but dark, with plenty of Wu-Tang and Premier influences. There are a couple of drawbacks here: the overuse of sampled dialogue drags things down, and while the guest MCs don't do anything to hurt the songs they're on, their average verses don't add much, either. But when both Breez and Dirt show off their best stuff ("Don't Be Afraid," "Trouble Anthem," "Repo Man"), they prove themselves to be a very talented team.

Troublemakers on the World Famous Halftime Show with DJ Eclipse and Skizz

2008-03-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

Breez Evahflowin and Dirt E. Dutch stopped by the World Famous Halftime Show on WNYU radio with DJ Eclipse and Skizz to promote the new Troublemakers album. Dj Eclipse and Breez caught up on old times and of course Mr. Evahflowin did his thing on the mic over this 9th Wonder beat

2nd annual Hip Hop Summit (Stamford Times Article)

2008-03-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

By BEN LEVINE
blevine@thestamfordtimes.com

STAMFORD — They rushed to the front of the Westhill High stage, 100 or
so teenagers and twenty-somethings packed together, heads nodding and
hands in the air, eating up every rhyme and breaking to every beat.

"I need you to lose you're mind," said Joe Celcis, Westhill High
teacher and 'MC' for the group the d_Cyphernauts. "This is a real
hip-hop show. This is how we celebrate African American history month.
Hip-hop is not about violence, hip-hop is love."

And with that the performance part of the second annual Hip-Hop Summit
had begun. For dozens of high school students who came out on a cold
and grey Saturday, it was the opportunity to lose themselves in the
music, and get a chance to see first hand the culture and art form of
hip-hop they had been discussing all afternoon.
The Hip-Hop Summit's purpose was to deteriorate mainstream stereotypes
about hip-hop culture. On March 1, long-time hip-hop lovers and
first-timers had a chance to take part in hip-hop workshops and panel
discussions.

The workshops were on everything from beat making, producing, rhyming,
break dancing and turn table exploits. Legends such as MC Chubb Rock
(Richard Simpson) and d.j. Terrible-T (Tyrone Dunmore) took part in
the day's activities. According to Celcis and his d_Cyphernaut partner
Dave Wooley (a.k.a. Othello), the workshops were a chance for kids to
get hands-on experience in the music they love.

"The idea behind the summit was to merge teaching and hip-hop, and to
do something positive for Black History month," Wooley said. "It's a
great learning experience (for kids), and we had access to a wealth of
artists who had a lot to say, and present a side of hip-hop (students)
are not usually exposed to."

Wooley and Celcis wanted to inform youth about the positive and
negatives of the music industry, and first and foremost, inspire those
who are interested in pursing a career in music. Celcis, who goes by
the MC name of Nemesis Alpha, said that as an artist he learned just
as much about the hip-hop he's creating as kids learned about how they
create it.

"I think as artists, when you're dealing with a specific population as
we do, which is the 21-and-over crowd, sometimes you can become
encapsulated," he said. "Interacting with these kids reminds us of the
responsibility of the arts, which I believe is to have a message, a
purpose. I think all art should challenge the human mind."

Celcis and Wooley are both part of the Ant Farm Affiliates (AFA), a
collection of Connecticut-based hip-hoppers. AFA members include
Phenetiks, Workforce, Cee Reed, The Rising Sun Quest, Sketch the
Cataclysm, Expertiz, Pruven, and Spaz the Working Class — all of whom
performed at Saturday's summit.

The AFA was formed in January of last year, and first performed to
gether at the inagural Hip-Hop Summit, also hosted by Celcis and
Wooley. Their goal is to validate Connecticut as a prominent area to
discover musical talent within hip-hop. The AFA hosts a local hi-hop
showcase entitled "Enter The Cypher,' at Cousin Larry's in Danbury,
Conn. The AFA strives to promote the authenticity and purity of
hip-hop culture through music, dance, creative writing and art.

In addition to performances and workshops, Celcis and Wooley also held
a panel discussion to discuss where hip-hop has been, and where its
experts believed it was going.

One of the topics discussed at length by panelists was the record
industry, and the changes it has experienced over the last decade.
Chubb Rock, a Brooklyn, N.Y. native who has released several albums
and sold millions of records world wide, explained that in today's
music world, with fewer and fewer record labels, a small number of
people make the decision as to what music should sound like, act like
and look like.

"What happens in the mainstream media is things are watered down so
they are easy to digest. It's the nature of the industry, regardless
of the genre of music we're talking about. They want the music to be
consumable," he said.

It's this mentality, Chubb Rock explained, that has led to commercial
hip-hop's glorification of negative stereotypes, and why so many of
today's artists sound the same. Original and positive artists get
pushed to the underground scene, he said. Chubb Rock and the rest of
the panel would like to see hip-hop pioneers do more to promote
positive hip-hop culture.

"We have to go into our communities and help teach young people about
the business of music and hip-hop," Chubb Rock said.

In the eyes of Celcis and Wooley, the summit fulfilled that pledge to
the young people who came. From 6 p.m. on, kids felt the full-force of
electric performance's by AFA artists, and at the end of the day,
students were given the chance to go on stage and perform themselves.

"To have them on stage, and to be cheered on by fellow students and
the AFA artists, that was something special," Celcis said.

Westhill has been buzzing since Saturday's summit, Celcis said.
Students, teachers and administrators are still talking about the
positive impact it left on those who attended.

"That's the spirit of it, to me," Wooley said. "I always thought the
greatest thing about hip-hop was it represents the natural progression
of Martin Luther King's dream. That's what you saw at the summit, a
place where everybody could get together, have a good time and respect
and celebrate each other's talents."

www.adambernard.blogspot.com AFA Hip Hop 2nd Annual Hip Hop Summit!

2008-03-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I was a guest speaker at the AFA’s (Ant Farm Affiliates) second annual Hip-Hop Summit at Westhill High School in Stamford, CT. The day was filled with workshops that included emcees mentoring students on the arts of songwriting, battling and freestyling, panel discussions that featured legendary emcee Chubb Rock and Stronghold’s Breez Evahflowin, and performances both by the artists who were doing the mentoring as well as some of the students. Through having conversations with the young men and women there, hearing their questions, seeing their reactions to the performances and seeing them do their own thing on stage, I have to say that Hip-Hop’s future looks brighter than ever.

The first sign that something special was happening on this afternoon was that over a hundred students showed up at school on a Saturday. Inspired to actually go back to campus on a weekend, these young Hip-Hop fans were looking to soak up any information given to them about the culture. In fact, during a question and answer segment I was impressed with the concerns the students came to us with. In an open forum it takes some guts to ask “why do older artists look down on us?” To the credit of the artists, fantastic answers were given to every question asked. At one point Chubb Rock not only gave a history lesson, but schooled everyone as to who was really making money in the industry, noting that Raven-Symone was selling more albums than Beyonce, a statistic that shocked the vast majority of the crowd, including some of the other panelists. Later a question was asked regarding the lack of women on the stage and Othello from d_Cyphernauts mentioned my “Where The Ladies At?” blog post and let me give some answers.

The live performances capped off the day and did so in impressive fashion. It should be noted that all of these young people that so many so-called Hip-Hop fans claim are brainwashed and don’t know anything about the culture embraced all the underground artists wholeheartedly, which is much more than I can say for your average older fan attending to a show. They rushed the stage, jumped up and down and reached out for high fives. The crowd was so hype, in fact, that Hawl Digg of Workforce decided to jump into it for a minute during his performance.

Smiles were plentiful as these 100+ young men and women were there to see some Hip-Hop, even if they didn’t know who all of the artists were. Note to everyone who goes to shows – this is how it always should be! We could all learn a lesson and take a cue from these younger fans and start showing up at the bars and clubs we go to for events with that same attitude of just wanting to see some Hip-Hop and being excited about it. It’s funny, a lot of people who claim to be Hip-Hop fans really aren’t. They go to shows with a negative attitude, wanting the artist to prove something to them. These stone faced, “I hope this guy sucks,” types fill up clubs and deem themselves some kind of expert, claiming to appreciate the art form “on a higher level.” That’s a load of horse dookie. We’ve all been guilty of it, I know I have in the past, but what higher level is there than going to a show to enjoy yourself and then enjoying yourself?

The good times continued when the students hit the stage. Breez and I both commented on how much more advanced the next generation of artists are at 15 and 16 than anyone from our generation was at that age. One group featured a full band and midway through a song titled “Don’t Shoot The Gorilla” had a guy in a gorilla suit join them on stage. Talk about a sight to behold! The place erupted with cheers. In fact, all of the students supported each other, which was great to see.

All in all, the AFA’s second annual Hip-Hop Summit proved Hip-Hop’s future is in capable hands (and notebooks). The only way things could be derailed is if the older generations, mine included, choose to ignore the questions, comments and concerns of our future MCs, DJs and producers. So if you’re an established artist, take a few minutes to converse with some of the aspiring future leaders of Hip-Hop, you might be surprised at how quickly someone can go from looking up at you to looking up to you.Check out photos from the event at: AFA Hip-Hop Summit GalleryFor more on the AFA check out: theafa.blogspot.com

Republican American Hip Hop Summit Press Release

2008-02-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

Music takes us right through the winter By Kellie Lambert McGuire REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

The groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter, but those next six weeks are filled with enough musical shows to chase the winter blues away.The calendar is ripe with concerts through the end of March. Music fans can put that tax rebate to good use by indulging in the many entertainment options filling up local venues.
Waterbury's Palace Theater offers up Hammer of the Gods, the Led Zeppelin tribute, on Feb. 23. k.d. lang performs on March 16.Visit the Palace box office at 100 East Main St. or call (203) 755-4700.The Warner Theatre in Torrington will host country legend Trisha Yearwood on March 7. "An Evening of Doo Wop Rock & Roll, Vol. II" will bring musical cheer to the Warner stage on March 15.For tickets, visit the Warner box office at 68 Main St. or call (860) 489-7180.
The Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport will welcome country sensation Carrie Underwood on Feb. 24. Josh Turner opens.The Arena also scored another hot tour: The Jonas Brothers, who will perform March 16.For tickets, visit the box office or visit or call any Ticketmaster outlet.The Jonas Brothers will also perform March 18 at the Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford. The Chevy also has Celtic Woman on its schedule for March 22. Country superstar Dierks Bentley will take over the Chevy on March 29, with the help of Bucky Covington and Luke Bryan.For tickets to all shows at the venue, visit or call any Ticketmaster outlet.The XL Center, formerly known as the Hartford Civic Center, will welcome the reunited Spice Girls on Feb. 22, following by the legendary Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on Feb. 28.For tickets to all shows, visit the XL box office or any Ticketmaster outlet.Mohegan Sun Casino has a wealth of shows at three of its venues in the coming weeks. Matchbox 20 takes over the Arena on Monday, with the help of Alanis Morissette and Mute Math. Toby Keith hijacks the Arena on Feb. 28 and 29, followed by two nights with Bon Jovi and Daughtry, on March 7 and 8.Celtic Woman performs March 14. Van Halen, with opening act Kymani Marley, performs March 26.In the Cabaret, the retro music concert "Rat Pack Is Back" will be Friday through Sunday. Aaron Lewis of Staind will give an acoustic solo show on Feb. 20 through 24.The Wolf Den has several shows for any music fan on a budget. All shows at this casino bar are free. Gloria Gaynor brings disco back on Saturday. Martha Reeves & the Vandellas also have a nostalgic twist on Feb.24.Robert Cray performs Feb. 29 and March 1, followed by Chubby Checker on March 2. Davy Jones takes the stage on March 7, followed by John Waite on March 8, Tracy Lawrence on March 14 and The Romantics on March 15.Eddie Money returns to the venue for two days of shows, March 21 and 22. Tower of Power closes out the month with performances March 29 and 30.For tickets to Mohegan Sun events, visit the casino box office, any Ticketmaster outlet or call (860) 886-0070.Foxwoods Casino isn't left out of the musical fun either. The Fox Theater schedule has Al Jarreau on Friday, Bobby Vinton on Saturday, Creedence Clearwater Revival on Feb. 22 and Jackson Browne on March 29.For tickets, call (800) 200-2882.@$:DAVE SAMUELS INSTEAD: For personal reasons, Joe Beck, who was scheduled to appear as part of The Gunnery's annual Speaker Series, is unable to perform. In his place, Dave Samuels has agreed to perform at the First Congregational Church Meeting House on Washington Green at 7 p.m. Friday. Call (860) 868-7334 extension 251 for reservations as seating is limited. Admission is free.HIP HOP CONFERENCE: The Ant Farm Affiliates will host another Hip Hop Conference on March 1 in Stamford.The informational event will discuss, educate and inform people about true hip hop as well as the music industry. The focus of the event is to correct mainstream stereotypes about hip hop culture, inform participants about the positive and negative aspects of the music industry, and inspire those who are interested in pursuing a career in music.The conference will also feature performances by Ant Farm Affiliates artists like Phenetiks, D. Cyphernauts, Workforce, Cee Reed, The Rising Sun Quest, Sketch the Cataclysm, Expertiz, Pruven and Spaz the Working Class. There are also two special guests, MC Chubb Rock and Battlemaster Breez Evahflowin.The conference will be from 1 to 9 p.m. March 1 at West Hills High School, 125 Roxbury Road in Stamford. For more information, call (800) 688-5850 or e-mail othello88@ gmail.com.THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY: Today marks the day in 1972 when John Lennon and Yoko Ono hosted "The Mike Douglas Show." The pair hosted for a week, welcoming guests like Chuck Berry and Black Panther leader Bobby Seale.Send your arts and entertainment news and listings to kellmcguire @yahoo.com.
Subscribers can read more in the e-edition. Login here

Poetry, hip hop share the spotlight at Black History Month celebration

2008-02-26T13:47:00.000-08:00

By Monica PottsStaff Writer
February 24, 2008
STAMFORD - Chantel Wilkerson, a 17-year-old student at Stamford High School, could not decide whether she would get on stage.
She was at an event for Black History Month at the University of Connecticut's Stamford campus yesterday, a few hours before a spoken word poetry contest was to begin.
"She's here, and she's a block of ice," said her mother, Phyllis Wilkerson, 46. "You get her at a party and she will dance at the drop of a song, in front of people she's never seen before."
But poetry is different, Phyllis Wilkerson said. "Words mean so much more."
The event, which included the spoken word poetry contest and a panel on music, was to begin at 2 p.m. yesterday, but got off to a slow start. That left a little more time for Chantel Wilkerson to decide, and she ultimately was swayed to perform.
It was sponsored by the company BlackCT, founded by Jere Eaton, former president of the Stamford chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Eaton said she wanted to celebrate positive art forms for Black History Month.
DJs, a spoken word poet, musicians and a teacher spoke during a panel discussion on music. About 30 people, including children and adults, from Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford, were in the audience.
The panelists shared a common idea: Music, literature and history education improve the way African-American youth view their roles in the world.
"What has happened in our country to the African-Americans, we have been taught through the media over time to wait for someone to come save us," said Joseph Celcis, a musician and English teacher at Westhill High School. "Your generation needs to step up and say, 'We are going to change things for ourselves.' "
Sheanna Cuffee, a 17-year-old student at Central High School in Bridgeport, told the audience she grew up in foster care and said that kind of thinking was unfair.
"What was I supposed to do when I was 3, 4, 5 growing up?" she said. "It bothers me when you say our generation is clueless; it's not most of our faults."
Sheanna, who said she has lived in four foster homes, said extra challenges face those who grow up in poverty or in foster care.
"Parents need to wake up," she said. "Society needs to wake up."
The panelists spoke about the history of music and hip hop, and said the negative images portrayed in today's mainstream rap are at odds with hip hop's thoughtful, political roots.
It has become more like the mainstream music against which it was reacting, like disco, which was more about making repetitive sounds for people to dance to and less about encouraging people to think, Celcis said.
It is a problem for this generation of children, he said. "They don't search, and it's amazing because they have every search tool at their fingertips."
Copyright (c) 2008, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-nor.word9feb24,0,2811289.story

For The Record

2008-02-17T16:39:00.001-08:00

Sadly, after 8 years and change...
truckloads of dope songs...
and 6 albums of varying degrees...
Due to reasons that will remain within the know of the individuals that know...
phenetiks and JK1 the Supernova have officially parted paths.

We at phenetiks incorporated wish JK the respect, encouragement, and good luck to succeed with all his endeavors.
He is beyond talented, and I am for sure positive he will leave a lasting impression on the music world.

phenetiks will continue on the forward path that we've been on something heavy.

Peace.
deto-22

Troublemakers Breez Evahflowin and Dirt E. Dutch make serious noise

2008-02-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

TW LW ARTIST & TITLE LABEL
1 1 LUPE FIASCO The Cool Atlantic-1st & 15th
2 7 FOOD FOR ANIMALS Belly Hoss
3 4 MIKE LADD Nostalgialator Definitive Jux
4 9 NIGHT OWLS 4: A SHOT IN THE DARK Various Artists Syntax
5 3 Y SOCIETY Travel At Your Own Pace Tres
6 2 DANTE Roaming Empire Havoc
7 8 GHISLAIN POIRIER No Ground Under Ninja Tune
8 6 BUCK 65 Situation Strange Famous
9 - YAK BALLZ Scifentology II Flospot
10 5 HANGAR 18 Sweep The Leg Definitive Jux
11 10 WYCLEF JEAN Carnival II: Memoirs Of An Immigrant Columbia
12 - BREEZ EVAHFLOWIN AND DIRT E. DUTCH Troublemakers Little Ax
13 12 SONTIAGO Steel Yourself endemik
14 16 BLOCKHEAD Uncle Tony's Coloring Book Ninja Tune
15 11 OMID Afterwords 3 Alpha Pup
16 - DUO LIVE The Color Of Money Redemption Music Group
17 14 JAY-Z American Gangster Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam
18 36 WU-TANG CLAN 8 Diagrams SRC
19 15 TALIB KWELI Eardrum Warner Bros.
20 28 WELL DEEP: TEN YEARS OF BIG DADA RECORDINGS Various Artists Big Dada

Posted by Will Johnsen at February 1, 2008 4:05 p.m.The
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/spi/archives/130855.asp

Troublemakers intend to resurrect hip-hop
What makes a record stand out? Usually it's the beats or rhymes that the producer and emcee respectively created, but sometimes a producer and emcee combine together and deliver an album, the type of record rappers are rarely known for. Perhaps it's because rappers don't do entire albums with one beat maker or maybe it's just because rap today has become a land of club singles and ring tones.

Whatever it is, Breez Evahflowin and Dirt E. Dutch have combined to form Troublemakers and if their self-titled first effort is any indication, they intend to cause even more problems for an industry that is already in trouble.

Knowing little about producer Dirt E. Dutch, his style is reminiscent of an era of classic producers utilizing drums that knock and samples that any good crate digger would be remiss not to add to his list of records to look for.

The rhyming half of Troublemakers, Breez Evahflowin, has been a staple of the NY underground for years as both a solo emcee and member of the unbeatable – and missing in action – collective Stronghold. Probably better known for guest verses and a 12-inch or two, here we get to finally see Breez stretch out and try some different styles and really show us why he hasn't given up on a career in this crazy industry: dude has skills.

Attacking the industry and those who challenge hip-hop's relevancy on "No Room for Growth," we see Breez team up with L.I.F.E. Long. The two emcees' chemistry is perfect and rather than it feeling like a competition of who can spit harder, it feels more natural and they try to build off each other.

Throughout the record, Dutch splices in audio clips from, I'm assuming, a combination of films, TV shows and records. These audio clips add to the content of Breez's rhymes and make it feel like a cohesive set of tracks rather than 12 random songs.

This album will satisfy that desire for some banging hip-hop while we wait for the industry to get back in gear and deliver some heat but, unfortunately, it may get forgotten by the end of 2008, and that would be a shame. Do what you have to to find this project, if for no other reason than to hear one emcee and one producer rock together in the vein of that traditional hip-hop sound.

Posted by Will Johnsen at February 1, 2008 4:05 p.m.

Quest on Kiss 95.7 Super Bowl Sunday

2008-01-30T11:53:00.000-08:00

HIP HOP LOVERS!!!
Show your support. Please Vote for Quest's song "Our Dreams"on kiss957.com in the underground countdown.

CLICK HERE to vote for QUEST or text "CYPHER 2" TO 49330

Vote online now. Song airs LIVE on 95.7 Feb 3 (Superbowl Sunday) so make sure you remember me after you watch the game.

(Snare on the Art Grind!) "Get a Grip!" art show @ 'My Plastic Heart NYC' Gallery

2008-01-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

SNAREhttp://theafa.blogspot.com/akaJose Mhttp://snareart.blogspot.com/

Breez Evahflowin & Dirt E Dutch are Troublemakers!

2008-01-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

CDs Also Available Here:

Buy at UGHH.com

Buy at CD Baby

Buy at Buy at iTunes Music Store

Buy at Napster

Stream from Rhapsody

Briefing:

Troublemakers, a collaborative effort between Dirt E. Dutch (IndieFeed Hip Hop) and Breez Evahflowin (Stronghold) is a personal yet accessible statement on how music can shape a man's life and cultural views. The album features 12 quality tracks surrounded by colorful sound bites serving as a harsh narrative to the reality ridden rhythms. The Troublemakers LP takes a mature approach to covering various topics: politics, relationships, loss, and good times. The lead single, "Don't be afraid", is carried by a soulful hook and the verbal warnings of the current cost of fame. The video, slated for Februrary, boasts a mixture of cutting edge animation and eye popping visuals. Spot dates and tours will begin winter of '07 into spring of '08.

D_Cyphernauts get political

2007-12-27T17:19:00.000-08:00

Written by Othello of D_Cyphernauts

In case you haven't been following the news, former Marine Sergeant Adam Kokesh, and Iraqi War veteran is in jeopardy of having his Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corps reversed because he took part in protests while wearing a stripped down version of his uniform. Essentially the Marine Corps is attempting to silence Sgt. Kokesh's voice in an attempt to keep other veterans and voices within the active military from speaking out against President Bush's war in Iraq. I have no idea what a soldier's discharge status has to do with his civilian activity AFTER HE HAS HONORABLY SERVED OUR COUNTRY during his service in the military. The fact that he opposes the war and chooses to exercise his 1st Amendment right to free speech has NOTHING to do with his military service. Is this how we repay our veterans???

The d_Cyphernauts had the honor of performing at several events at which the anti-war group Iraq Veterans Against the War spoke compellingly and passionately about their opposition to the war. You need to hear their stories. They are brutally honest and they paint a picture of this conflict that we, in America, are unaware of.

I reprinted an update about Adam's situation from the Iraqi Veteran's Against the War's website, www.ivaw.org below. Please visit their site for more comprehensive and timely information. I also encourage you to support Adam's fight to retain his Honorable Discharge status by visiting his blog at http://kokesh.blogspot.com/.

Adam Kokesh Hearing Update:

Iraq Veterans Against the War scored a victory for free speech today in Kansas City, MO. A panel of three Marine Corps officers recommended today that Adam Kokesh receive a general discharge under honorable conditions. Adam and his attorney will, however, appeal this finding on the grounds that Adam is entitled to his full honorable discharge. In a seemingly hypocritical contradiction, the Marine Corps panel, as well as the prosecution's key witness, Major Whyte, agreed that the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) does not apply to members of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). Regardless of this, several other honorably discharged IVAW members are facing a similar hearing based on their stance against the war. IVAW members will continue to tell the truth about our experiences in Iraq and in the military and fight to bring our brothers and sisters home from Iraq now.

Adam, Liam and Cloy appeared on Good Morning America on Sunday, June 3rd.

Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) on GMA

Workforce featured in the Fairfield County Weekly

2007-12-27T17:07:00.000-08:00

Check out this video: Workforce Live - Best Foot Forward

Add to My Profile | More Videos

By Nick Keppler:
So it's been established that Danbury isn't the next Seattle, right? Anyone still waiting on that? Anyone? Good, that means the following bands can be judged on their own merits, not the unreasonable expectation that they'll blow up like Soundgarden. Recent shows at Cousin Larry's and the Monkey Bar have been pretty sweet, even if no one's coming in from New York, the fools, to see these Danbury-based bands and musicians.
...
Workforce
"I get down with the grit 'n grime/ so until I get mine I'm gonna stay on the grind/and use the rhyme as a tool to build/cause there's empty space that needs to get filled," raps Workforce's Hawl Digg (pictured) on "Set It Straight." Digg's lyrics are positive without being corny, confident without being boastful and old-school without being outdated. DJ and producer the Dirty Dutchman serves him well with samples from the Curtis Mayfield era of soul, one that's spiritually akin to Workforce's gangsta-free urban sound. Danbury natives and childhood friends, Digg and the Dutchman became addicted to hip-hop when "Rapper's Delight" swelled beyond New York City. "[W]e've seen all the good and bad that hip-hop has to offer," says the Dutchman. "We formed Workforce in 2004 to promote more of the good and less of the bad." www.myspace.com/workforce.

Phenetiks Rawkus 50 LP Available Now!

2007-12-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

Yes Yes. Hear ye hear ye.The Phenetiks CD:Revolutionary Non-Pollutionary Mechanical Wonderis officialy out through the long awaited highly anticipated Rawkus 50.(Yes. I changed the album artwork at the last minute. The one they had for 7 months wasn't "big" enough)

It's on :

iTunes
Amazon
Napster
Rhapsody
Mtraks
Emusic
... and a few otherThankfully, they completely ignored our song order, and the songs are now conveniently listed alphabetically. (which makes the album pretty close to inside out)Oh, and just for kicks...my two favorite tracks are misspelled. Devistation Ragga, and Epotome One, Two.Hope you enjoy it, and make us millions. Download like crazy you little circus monkeys.Peace. Sorry for the Sarcasm.~Phenetiks collectively opened a studio in Waterbury, CT in 2003 and are now standing strong on their 2nd LP.

Cee Reed EP Now Available! "The E.P"

2007-12-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

The 3rd solo release from CEE REED brings the fuel to the fire. This album is raw hip hop at it's best. Old School, Underground, Raw, Political, what ever you want to call it it's good.

www.ceereed.com
www.littleax.com
www.myspace.com/ceereed
www.musicnation.com/ceereed

Some real dope shit right here!

Adam Bernard Interview W/The Rising Sun Quest

2007-12-25T15:31:00.000-08:00

AFA (Ant Farm Affiliates)

2007-12-24T18:02:00.000-08:00

PHENETIKS has joined forces with some of the most promising hip-hop artists in CT.We are now apart of a much larger coalition call The "Ant Farm Affiliates". THe group includes:

PHENETIKS

THE RISING SUN QUEST

D_CYPHERNAUTS

SKETCH THE CATACLYSM

SPAZ "THE WORKING CLASS"

EXPERTIZE

HAWL DIGG AND DIRT E DUTCH ( WORKFORCE)

CEE REED

PRUVEN

We need all of our fans however many there are of you on this earth to please support these artists along with us. We all have very different styles with the same common goal behind our music. And that is to deliver hip-hop to the listener in its purest form.

peace

AF to the def fa real!

More to come Squad Up!

Phenetiks Voted # 1 Hip Hop in CT

2007-12-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

Straight out of Waterbury, the authentic and innovative hip-hop group Phenetiks is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Together for only two years, the men were life-long musicians, either as DJs or MCs, before they met through mutual friends. They mix edgy social observations and nostalgic explanations of music with catchy and experimental beats that immediately make you realize these guys are doing something completely different than what's "popular."
Deto-22, the group's producer, lays the beats down and, according to his MySpace page, Phenetiks is more than just a music group for him; it's a life-saving force.
"Phenetiks saved my life," the site reads. "I used to live in random parked cars and hustle Snickers to high school kids for drug money. I'd spend my nights with various homeless hookers playing setback and Scrabble and [I'd] eat cans of snowshoe peas." It wasn't until he haphazardly met Roc-one and JK1, both from New York, that he really tapped into his production skills. Then, after years of producing beats for local solo artists, the three men started Phenetiks with MC Protégé and DJ SirCumference.
Record label Rawkus picked them to be in their "Rawkus 50," a collection Rawkus calls "the 50 next important hip-hop artists," less than a month after Pheneticks submitted a demo to them. The label will get them a digital distribution deal along with promotional assistance and occasional shows in New York. Opportunities like this allow Phenetiks to "hardcore promote" their new album, The Revolutionary, Non-Pollutionary, Mechanical Player, along the East Coast, and each copy comes with the Rawkus seal.
Their songwriting is strictly collaborative. It starts with Deto-22's beats and then moves its way through the others in the group, sprouting lyrical legs until all the verses and hooks are nicely packaged and put together. "We call Deto-22 the creator and the originator because we can't make Phenetiks tracks without him, the Protégé says. "He has that certain sound." They bounce ideas off each other, and a song's not done until they all agree it's done.
Currently, aside from picking up as many shows as possible, they're collaborating with Smoke, this year's Best Hard Rock/Rock winner, on a live album to be recorded at shows between now and the end of 2008 and planned for an early-2009 release.
Hip-hop groups like Phenetiks show its struggle and passion to create art, not a struggle and passion to sell sneakers and over-sized hoodies. Listen to them and it's clear that if mainstream hip hop wasn't spoon-fed to the masses, nobody would eat it.
Check it out for yourself at www.fairfieldweekly.com

Sketch Tha Cataclysm...Ranked in Adam Bernards Top 25 Albums of 2007

2007-12-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

21) Sketch Tha Cataclysm – Party Music 4 Pissed Off PeopleIf you’ve ever shaken your ass to the idea of a revolution then you were probably listening to Sketch Tha Cataclysm. Sketch is one of the only artists around who can make you party while spitting intense lyrics about American history, where the country is going and why the radio only plays certain artists. Heck, his album even has a suggested reading section! Production on PM4POP ranges from reggae inspired to mid-90’s Hip-Hop. The only negative about the album is its length, it’s only an EP and the world could use a lot more of Sketch Tha Cataclysm.Song you need to hear: Betsy Ross and the Miseducation of AmericaWebsite: myspace.com/sketchthacataclysm

Phenetiks Interview w MusiqPromo UK

2007-06-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

Protégé from Phenetiks Interview
I know you guys reading my interviews are going to start thinking I'm developing a bias towards Connecticut, but no it's purely coincidence that my next artist to interview is also from CT. With A new album out and getting a lot of good responses I catch up with Protégé from Phenetiks to talk about the Musical Journey.

Musiqpromo: How's it going? Why don't you introduce yourself to the people?Protégé: Hello there, I go by the name of The Protégé of Phenetiks. We are an experimental hip-hop group from Waterbury CT. Besides me there is the producer Deto22, the Dj Dj SirCumference, and the two other incredible MC' JK1 the Supernova and Roc one. Happy to be here.
Musiqpromo: How long have you been together? Protégé: Well we all kind of met through mutual friends and became friends before we actually started to do music together. Phenetiks has been around since 1994. Deto22 is the originator. We have officially been a five member group since my induction in late '05'.
Musiqpromo: How would you describe your sound? Protégé: Our sound is untainted, pure, original, lyrics, raw beats, raw scratching, concept driven, life motivated, dramatic nonsense, hip hop. Lol I can just say that each MC' brings his own persona to the table when it comes to making songs.Deto22 lays the beat and the concept and Dj Sircumference adds the special sauce. I dont even know what else to call it. It's just some good ol hip hop!
Musiqpromo: You have released your first album, can you tell the people about that?Protégé: Yes this is our first release wit Rawkus, but we put out our first album independently in 2006, "The Sandbox set" which is available on cdbaby.com and ITunes.com. Our second LP is called "Revolutionary Non-Pollutionary Mechanical Wonder". You can download it now at the Rawkus website, my.rawkus.com and the link is as follows http://my.rawkus.com/profile/PHENETIKS. We have merchandise links posted as well.
Musiqpromo: I saw that you have made it to the Rawkus 50, how did that come about?Protégé: We caught word of it on the net pretty early. JK1's girlfriend Erin spotted it and was like "you guys should enter that shit" so we did. I sent in the necessary materials and Slopfunkdust got back to us with a quick response. Hate to sound cliché but the rest is history. We got in.
Musiqpromo: Your from CT I've just interviewed MD-E, are you guys ever gonna collaborate? And what do you think of Redhead Kingpin & Apathy, who are CT's most famous exports. Protégé: Yeah M D.E is our people. We both from CT representin! We are gonna be doing a show with him next week @ Blaggards in Manhattan. (Peep the page for info)I'm sure we can get together on a track in the future. I personally have not listened to Redhead Kingpin ever. I'm sure he can hold it down because I have heard of him. Apathy is my people too. I used to be a Dj for WHUS the University of Connecticut radio station. He was always around with OneTwo of the Demigodz. He spit crazy then and he's only gotten better with time. I've seen him roast mics wit a freestyle. I'm glad he's doing his thing, I'm gonna check him out in concert in Hartford this summer.
Musiqpromo: Are you working with any other people?Protégé: Mos def! CT becoming really strong right now and we (Phenetiks) are all about the unity. We have aligned ourselves with some good talent from around the state, M D.E being one. We are apart of the AFA (Ant Farm Affiliates) which features Spaz,Cee Reed, Workforce-Dir E Dutch and Hawl Digg,D_Cyphernauts, Sketch Tha Cataclysm, The Rising Sun Quest, and Expertiz. We are planning to drop a mixtape soon. And shout out to my peoples The Basement Bastards, Subrosa, Smoke, Cousin Larry's, Maddsonn, Defynshn, Silent Touch, Wos, Dj Eros, and the Official IC.
Musiqpromo: Sounds very promising I'm from the UK, have you heard anything from over here that has caught your ear? Protégé: I personally can't say that I know as much about UK hip hop than I do about US hip hop. But I have caught freestyles from things like jump-off TV and mix tapes; Youtube also keeps me tuned in. I haven't listened to enough to pick favorites. I did however link up with a producer named Raze Brooks and we did a couple of tracks together. There are other UK artist's that I like outside of hip hop like Cluadia Jesse and Holly Ottignon. Great talents. Wait I like Slick Rick, he's from the UK right?
Musiqpromo: Yeah Slick Rick & Monie Love are our biggest exports, I've heard a few of Razes Tunes, his Hip Hop Years Mixes and the Stuff he did with Lava Flo, you got any plans to come out to perform in the U.K? Protégé: We would love to come out there and perform for the people! But we all have separate lives right now and it would take a big effort on our part. The only way I see that becoming a reality is if we can do a tour and make enough money to support our music. You know we still got jobs and kids support so all of that would have to be taken into consideration. If given the right opportunity though, we will be in the streets of London chillin wit the people.
Musiqpromo: It would be good to see you perform out here, now's the part of the interview for you to plug yourself and send a shout out to anybody you feel that has helped you along the way?Protégé: There's so many name and I said some of them already but we gotta thank anybody and everybody who gave a chance and listened. Major shout out to Maria Miiz, Divine, Lavoerevolt.com, John Vargas, The Aries Family...Brooklyn Stand Up! AFA, Slopfunkdust, and anybody who knows us and respects the fact that we do hip hop how we think it should be done. To everyone who bought The Sandbox Set and came to a show.
Musiqpromo: Thanks Protégé for taking part, it's been a great interview, I wish you and guys all the success in the world with your music, you deserve it.
Protégé: The pleasure was all ours. Thank you for this interview; it's been a while since I had the chance to have fun on a computer screen...Damn college exams! Peace to you and yours. Phenetiks for life...Now Eat Up!
Check out Phenetiks's music at http://www.myspace.com/phenetiks

Sketch Tha Cataclysm interview with Adam Bernard

2007-04-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

Artist Of The Week – Sketch Tha Cataclysm
Can great Hip-Hop come from public access television? Well, if you’ve seen Sketch Tha Cataclysm you already know the answer is an emphatic yes. Sketch got his start hosting two public access Hip-Hop shows in his hometown of Waterbury, CT, performing what he calls, in retrospect, “terrible battle raps littered with inappropriate similes and varied other foulness for shock value.” It was during that eight year period as a host, however, that he learned how to write complete songs and released an album entitled Tao Te Ching. Tao Te Ching was a collection of songs about the world told in first person and third person narratives and in a series of editorials. During the close of this period he also rocked shows with a band called (Soda) Popinski at the Acoustic Cafe in Bridgeport and started building his stagecraft. Recently he tore down the house at Cousin Larry’s in Danbury and this week I’m sitting down with Sketch to find out where his intense energy comes from, what he feels makes him unique as an artist, and what’s up with the “I Hate Rappers” hoodie he wears.Adam Bernard: After seeing your live show I have to say your energy level is incredible. I got tired for you at one point during your set. You seem fairly normal off stage, however, so I'm wondering where does this energy come from and how do you harness it while on stage?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: Wow man thanks for the compliment! I really appreciate comments like that. I usually go into a show fairly level and I just wander around the venue to feel out the crowd, this will usually tell me what I should rock for the night. As of the past six months I have stopped making a set list, so the crowd really tells me which of my songs to rock. Conserving energy usually comes from song choices and at this point I can tell when I will need a second to chill before pulling out a nice closer. Sometimes a chill point for me is a song that is just a bit slower or an a cappella done spoken-word style that has a little more space for me to breathe before the show's closer. I really like to keep the energy up, though.Adam Bernard: Other than your energy level, what do you feel makes you stand out in this very crowded Hip-Hop world?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: The desire to constantly change and just be a little different always. There are many different interests I have and aspects to my personality. It's important to me to show those different sides of my character. Also, I love writing so I have experimented with different styles of writing and using different artistic devices. My first serious album was loaded with character based stories with first person narratives, personification, etc. The newest project I’m working on has more multi-syllabic rhymes schemes on political and social issues over funky party beats. The project following that will be more personal and dramatic.Adam Bernard: Speaking of personal and dramatic, you have quite the long name. How did you become Sketch Tha Cataclysm and what does it mean to you?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: I was called "Sketch" because of an infatuation with drawing and never finishing pictures when I was little. "Tha Cataclysm" came due to a chance encounter with a magazine, legal purposes, Jeru, and to make my name become more of an artistic statement than a rap name with a subtitle. Basically, Sketch Tha Cataclysm = Design The Change.Adam Bernard: In climbing the ladder of success what do you feel is the next step for you and how are you going about making it happen?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: I want to get to a point where I am able to pay my bills entirely from my musical endeavors. Getting better at the art of performance is another constant goal and also continuing to put out diverse and interesting product. For example, I walk everywhere so while I am walking I try spit some of the most complicated rhymes I know repeatedly and make all of the words as clear as possible. It's breath control, it's something I stole from the late Jeff Buckley, who used to try to hold his notes out longer and longer as he walked places. You expend energy walking so it’s a good way to practice for being on stage without rehearsing a song directly.Adam Bernard: Finally, I noticed you rock a hoodie that says "I Hate Rappers." This might be confusing to a lot of people, can you explain it for everyone?Sketch Tha Cataclysm: The concept just comes from the fact that everybody nowadays spits rhymes. It just gets kind of aggravating. There are a vast array of biters and trends, and due to the amount of rappers out there all of those biters and trends get amplified by a billion and cause people to assume they know what I am like before they even hear me rhyme. The special ones, the original ones, the charismatic performers and musicians, the artists… I love. These humpty dumpty rappers that rap cat with bat I don't dig too much.For more Sketch hit up myspace.com/sketchthacataclysm.

AFA In the community

2007-04-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

Hip-hop summit at Westhill High offers message of 'empowerment'
Greenwich Time
By Natasha Lee
March 11, 2007
There's nothing wrong with being nerdy and being critical
STAMFORD - Aspiring young MCs, DJs and rappers got a behind-the-scenes glimpse yesterday of what it takes to get on stage, spit rhymes and get the crowd pumped.
Underground rappers, producers and artists from across the state gathered at the first Hip Hop Summit yesterday to teach young people about performance, technique and skill.
The all-day event was sponsored by Westhill High School and hosted by Ant Farm Affiliates, an association of more than a dozen Connecticut hip-hop artists and performers.
Their message was one of empowerment.
'There's nothing wrong with being nerdy and being critical,' said Queen Godis to a handful of students following a performance. 'We have to rely on our minds, because they are underused as it is.'
Godis, a singer and spoken-word performer, and singer Kendall Johnson-Smith, both from Brooklyn, N.Y., kicked off the summit with a series of songs and poetry from Godis' recent album 'Power U!'
Godis said her message and the album are about the struggles and joy of womanhood. She said women should be 'unafraid to be who they are without fear or resignation.'
Music videos featuring scantily clad women or sexually explicit lyrics send conflicting messages about a woman's place in society, she said.
'In the midst of mixed media images, there's a lot of disconnect as to what it means to be a woman,' she said.
Westhill High senior Deidre Knight, 17, said she appreciates Godis' message.
'When I listen to a lot of rap, it's like females really can't get anywhere. All you can do is look good and be in a video,' said Deidre, an aspiring rapper. 'Even a lot of female artists are degrading themselves. We need more artists like (Godis). She's good, and that inspires me.'
The summit featured a series of workshops about gaining exposure through independent media, stage presence and breathing techniques. Leaders also spoke about turning 'tagging' (spray-painting a symbol or name) and graffiti into a graphic design career. Participants had the chance to showcase their own demo CDs and receive a critique from Ant Farm Affiliates.
The event ended with a concert featuring the artists.
Westhill English teachers David Wooley and Joe Celcis, who also are Ant Farm performers, said the goal of the summit was to introduce young people to another side of hip hop, a side less commercial and more intellectual.
Wooley said he occasionally will interject lyrics into lessons to get students hooked on expanding their vocabulary and to improve their interest in reading.
'I think that we have a lot of kids who are either artists or intrigued by the music and the culture, and they don't necessarily think it's a way they can express themselves and be successful academically,' Wooley said.
The artists with Ant Farm Affiliates have years of experience performing individually and together across the country, and they said they have knowledge and advice to share with younger people who are up and coming.
'There's a real subculture that most people don't know about,' said Celcis, who goes by the stage name Nemesis Alpha when he's not teaching 'Romeo and Juliet' to high school kids. 'For every thug rapper, there's three or four rappers that have a real message and keep it real.'
Sixteen-year-old Brett Clarke came to the summit hoping to hone his DJ skills. Brett, a Westhill High junior, said his hobby of spinning records has landed him gigs at sweet-sixteen celebrations and at parties. The enthusiasm of the crowd as they dance and sing along when he works his turntables gives him a rush, Brett said.
But the role of the DJ has been lost today, he said.
'You almost get into somewhat of a zone. It's kind of cliche, but you don't really hear the music, you feel it. It's a lost art,' Brett said. 'Now at school dances, you'll see someone getting paid to sit behind a computer and press play.'
The summit was advertised and open to the public, but only about a dozen participants attended yesterday afternoon. Nonetheless, the artists said they felt encouraged by the youths' reaction.
'I've seen nothing but smiles, claps,' said Manny Arias, an MC from Waterbury who goes by the stage name Rocone. 'Everyone looks like they're enjoying themselves