New Years Eve Tickets

New Years Eve Parties In Hollywood can sometimes be hard to get into. Don't fret we have the perfect website to go to if you are looking for great New Years Eve parties in  Hollywood. Check Out GETNEWYEARSTIX.com

For Tickets to the best New Years Eve parties in the Hollywood and Los Angeles area go to:  http://www.getnewyearstix.com/ they have discount New Years Eve Party tickets to several of Hollywood's hottest nightclubs and can get you table reservations as well.

J's VIP List promotes several nightclubs in Los Angeles California including Mansion, My House, Industry and My Studio. This New Years Eve he has the hook up on New Years Eve Party Tickets for many of these hot Los Angeles nightclubs. Call him at 213-864-9601 or visit http://www.getnewyearstix.com/ to purchase your tickets today.

DJ Emir Mixtapes Ring In The New Year

There is something to be said for a mixtape you can listen to on a consistent basis and still enjoy every time. DJ Emir consistently delivers classic mixtapes that do just that. Whether it's his instant classic Michael Jackson Mixtape , His amazing Iron Man Mixtape, or the latest two we picked up his Gold Member Mixtape and his 18K Dancehall Mixtape, every mixtape has been of the highest quality and has provided countless hours of listening pleasure.

DJ Emir's Gold Member Mixtape (Techniques Hip Hop Mixtape Vol 11) delivers yet another hot movie themed mixtape filled to the brim with great hip hop music, reggae music and remixes to make you want to get up and dance. This time around the Mixtape has been themed to Austin Powers Gold Member so it features  several Beyonce Songs as well as a hot Austin powers remix of Lil Wayne's "A Millie" and a few classic bell bottom tracks like Kool & the Gang "Celebrate Good Times" mixed and blended in with todays hottest Music. As usual DJ Emir does a great job building the energy throughout the mixtape with tons of hot music making it a great listen that can be enjoyed for months on end.

DJ Emir's Gold Member Mixtape features 43 tracks

of hot Hip Hop Music to keep your party jumping

Another great DJ Emir mixtape to check out is his 18K Dancehall Mixtape which feateures a smooth remix of Cecile's Bam Bam Girl and over 60 tracks of the hottest Dancehall Reggae music. This is the first mixtape in Emir's new 18K Dancehall Reggae Mixtape Series and it was really good. We are eagerly anticipating more mixtapes in this mixtape series.

Check out the Gold Member Mixtape & 18K Dancehall Mixtape at www.DJEMIR.com 
- Harold P.

DJ Scene Mixtapes and Remixes

DJ Scene of Seattle Washington & Las Vegas has been on our radar for a minute. Before clubs and radio, Scene made a name for himself in the DJ battle circuit, becoming the 2002 Northwest DMC Champion. He now consistently tours throughout the United States with a distinct style that incorporates scratching, live remixes and blends of party anthems that span all genres of great music. He creates hot remixes that get major play by many of the top DJs in the world (like the Wiz Khalifa Black & Yellow DJ Scene Remix posted below)

DJ Scene currently has a weekly mixshow every Saturday on WILD 94.9 FM in San Francisco, a podcast that reaches 95,000+ subscribers weekly and coutless mixCDs distributed throughout the US. Originally from Seattle, he mixed 5 days a week on air with KUBE 93.3 FM, while prerecording for XM Satellite Radio 67 ‘The City’. Scene has also reached plenty of ears through Myspace where his 200,000+ friends have accounted for over 1.5 million plays of his exclusive remixes and live recordings. He has an Iphone app available for download on I-tunes and on his website DJ-Scene.com that streams various DJ Scene DJ Mix podcasts and mixtapes. The Mixtapes are also available as direct downloads on his website DJ-Scene.com

DJ Scene's website has several hot Mixtape Series that are worth checking out including his popular 2080's mixtape series which incorporate hot remixes and blends of 1980's tracks with todays hot club tracks. Another of his mixtape series to check out is his Epic Shine Mixtape Series based on the styles of music played at his Las Vegas Pool parties which feature Electro House and House Music occasionally laced with hip hop and R&B vocals.

Pick up these mixtapes and podcasts at DJ-SCENE.com

DJ Scene spends most of his time in Las Vegas spinning at various Las Vegas Nightclubs and Pool Parties including MGM's Studio 54 and Liquid at Aria. He is an extremely versatile DJ that always puts it down hard at every party.

DJ Scene is available for booking thru Josh Donaldson LVjoshD@gmail.com or Ricky Greenstein ricky@moodswing360.com

Hollywood New years Eve Parties

For Tickets to the best New Years Eve parties in the Hollywood and Los Angeles area check out http://www.getnewyearstix.com/ they have discount New Years Eve Party tickets to several of Hollywood's hottest nightclubs and can get you table reservations as well.

J's VIP List promotes several nightclubs in Los Angeles California including Mansion, My House, Industry and My Studio. This New Years Eve he has the hook up on New Years Eve Party Tickets for many of these hot Los Angeles nightclubs. Call him at 213-864-9601 or visit http://www.getnewyearstix.com/ to purchase your tickets today.

Great Hip Hop Music Blog

The Great Hip Hop Music Blog

Is going to be expanding in 2011. We've had fun in 2010 even though we lost a few writers and many of us have all become busy writing for other blogs but now in 2011 we plan on ringing in the New Year by expanding our blog with tons of new articles and reviews.

Hope you all had a great year a Merry Christmas and hop you all have a great New Year.

The Staff at Great Hip Hop Music Blog

Black Friday: Is It Really All It's Hyped Up To Be?

Stores opening at 3am and 4am; People camped outside their favorite electronic's stores, all in the hopes of getting that ONE super deal that makes it all worth it. But is it really worth it?

The best deals to be had overall were the large ticket items like Plasma TV's, Computers and Entertainment Systems. Large hain stores like Best Buy, Walmart and Target were able to stock tons of these larger ticket items and add major discounts as incentives to have buyers lined up ready to purchase just as the sales began.

We took a quick look at several major stores and talked to a few people that felt they got a good deal on Black Friday. While there were a few stores with extreme markdowns on several items overall many prices were still just barely below their normal average. And the places where the prices were extremely low had major crowds that were on occasion hard to control.

In 2008 Walmart had a fiasco on Black Friday at One of their stores in New York when One of their temporary employees was trampled to death by a persistent mob of shoppers that insisted on getting into the store. This event turned the Friday after Thanksgiving into a possible Life & Death strugle rather than just a shopping holiday. While we did find a few people that did find deals like 50" Plasma TVs for just a little over $480 US the question remains is that price worth risking your life for?

Our tips:

1. If you think the crowd is getting a little unrully maybe it's better to just go back home and wait for the next day when it will calm down a little. Marketers make it a habit of creating the illusion of scarcity in a landscape that has plenty of everything. They play on our fear of loss to make us feel like we have to be there on Black Friday or MISS OUT. Don't fall for it, Take your time deciding what you want to buy in the store and avoid any unrully crowds.
2. Can it be bought Online? Many stores have Black Friday Deals That are also available online with FREE Shipping. They sometimes even have those sales up on Thangsgiving Thursday so you can do some of your shopping safely and convenienty from home. visit http://www.black-friday.net/ for a list of stores that have Black Friday Deals.
3. There will be a few more super sales as it gets closer to Christmas Time. If you can get it all taken care of during Black Friday Great, but if not don;t sweat it too much, you'll often get a second chance.
4. If you are buying electronics they now have extended deals all the way through what people now reffer to as Cyber Monday.

Lil Wayne Will Be Released From Jail But Not Before Getting a Few More Prison Guards in Trouble

Young Money Mogul Lil wayne will be getting out of jail soon. Before his release however, another Prison guard has been suspended for hanging out with Young Weezy the Lollipop kid. It is not certain what has been going on in Jail while he has been encarcerated, but it would appear they have been quite leniant. Have the CO’s and guards been paid off ? Are they star struck hoping to be mentioned in a future release? Either way, Lil Wayne will be back on the streets in a week, and then the market will be once again be even more saturated with Lil Wayne tracks than it already is.

Apparently another prison guard at Rikers Island has been disciplined for making an unauthorized visit to see superstar rapper Lil Wayne, who is finishing a one year sentence for having a handgun on his tour bus in 2007.

According to the New York Daily News, Captain Raphael Collazzo was suspended without pay for 10 days for visiting the rapper for over 45 minutes, while he was in his isolation cell for having headphones and a charger for an MP3 player.

Capt. Collazzo, a 20-year-veteran, is not expected to be disciplined any further. He also denied breaking any rules during the unexplained visit.

He is at least the third guard at Rikers Island to get into trouble for visiting with Lil Wayne.

In April of 2010, Amelia Negron was fired for allegedly making an impromptu visit to the rapper’s cell. ( A booty call perhaps? Who knows?

In September, Captain LaTanya Brown was accused of visiting the rapper, in addition to giving him preferential treatment by letting him stay in his cell while other inmates were on the recreation yard.

Lil Wayne is expected to be released from prison next week.

Mexico City Shooting Aimed at New Police Headquarters

Mexico Shootin Aimed Directly at The Police

MEXICO CITY — The entire police force of a small northern Mexican town quit after gunmen attacked their recently inaugurated headquarters, according to local reports on Wednesday.

Los Ramones Mayor Santos Salinas said nobody was injured in Monday night's attack, during which gunmen fired more than 1,000 bullets at the building's facade, according to Noroeste newspaper's website. Six grenades, of which three detonated, were also flung at the building, the newspaper reported.

"Fortunately, those who were inside the building threw themselves on the ground and nobody was hurt," Salinas told the newspaper.

All 14 members of the force reportedly resigned Tuesday. Nobody answered the phones at Salinas' offices, according to The Associated Press.

The new police headquarters had been inaugurated three days earlier.

Los Ramones is in Nuevo Leon, a state torn by fighting between the Gulf and Zetas drug gangs. Police stations in small northeastern Mexican towns are frequently attacked, and several mayors have been assassinated.

Mexico's ill-equipped municipal forces often quit after cartel attacks. President Felipe Calderon has proposed eliminating Mexico's municipal forces and replacing them with one force per state.

According to Salinas, at 9:30 p.m. on Monday unknown assailants arrived at the police station and launched a 20-minute attack, Noroeste reported. Police backup arrived shortly after.

While the mayor had not received threats leading up to the attack, police earlier noticed suspicious men driving luxury pickups in the area, the newspaper reported. Fearing a strike, policemen lined up their patrol cars in front of the building in order to create a barricade, the newspaper added.

It was the second attack in less than a week against police installations in the state of Nuevo Leon. On Oct. 19, two grenades were thrown at a police shelter in the town of Sabinas Hidalgo, Noroeste reported.

The Associated Press reported.

DMC DJ Battles are now going Digital

The DMC DJ Battle Competitions that were strictly vinyl for decades are now allowing digital media into the mix. This opens the door for many DJs but also is a sad sight as it eliminates certain skills that used to be required including a light record hand and record control, plus the creativity to find those few words, samples and phrases hidden within a record. Things will indeed be very different. Hopefully with the things that will e disappearing from the competition well also see a huge influx of creativity and imagination. No doubt actual mixing will come back into the equation and some creative use of digital equipment and software as a new medium for the DJs to paint their musical canvas' with. 

For more info on the actual changes check the post below originally posted on www.Skratchworks.com

Posted by Gizmo on October 19, 2010
at www.Skratchworks.com 

Last night was the DMC 2010 world finals. From said finals came a few texts, but the one shown above - despite denials from DMC a couple of weeks ago - will come as zero surprise to anyone. It seems that Tony Prince announced that with the help of Rane and Serato, DMC will go digital - entirely digital too if the text is to be believed. Serato have also confirmed this with an official if slightly vague news item too.

Obviously, with Tony dropping this bomb late at night, and right before a booze laden afterparty means that the likelihood of getting further details in a hurry is slim. So I fired off the following questions to DMC HQ:

1. Are Technics out of the picture now?
2. Are Rane/Serato the only DVS sponsors?
3. Will you allow other DVSs to be used or will this be Serato only?
4. Will DJs be allowed to use all the tools available to them in the software or is it strictly for loading tracks without looping or cue points?
5. Is this really entirely digital with no real vinyl allowed?

My take right now is that sponsorship has been agreed, but the exact details of how this will pan out through the competition have yet to be thrashed out. 

Are Technics out of the picture now? Well I'd say that along with the continuing near certain demise of the long time favourite brand, then the answer is yes. It's been touch and go for a couple of years now, but I'd say that the DMC finals has just changed hands.

Will it be Serato only? Well I hope not. No offence to Serato because I love those guys - I'm thinking purely from a fairness point of view. Not everyone uses Scratch Live and I'm 100% against enforced usage of any particular type of technology. If DJs want to turn up with their own particular brand of DVS software then they should be allowed to do that. Yes of course I understand the needs and objectives of sponsors, but my own objective is the future of the battle scene. 

Personally, I think this news is great. This move simply cuts out the whole expensive making customs part for the battle DJ. Hmmm… but this alone isn't going to make the battle anymore exciting or encourage further creativity. I see no point in doing half measures - the entire menu of software options including loops, hot cues and effects needs to be allowed too. Perhaps then we could get back to some clever and creative mixing rather than juggling unknown custom beats and never really knowing if the DJ is actually performing or if all the action is pre-made on custom vinyls.

I really hope that the no analogue part is untrue. It's one thing moving forward to the place where everyone else has been for years, but to slam the door closed on the heritage than founded the entire DJ scene is plain wrong. 

UPDATE: This just in from Serato: "I can confirm that we endorse and support the use of real vinyl."

Early days yet and some careful thought needs to go into making the integration of DVS systems into DMC a success. Looking forward to seeing how this pans out. 

UPDATE 2: Official DMC statement follows:

DMC, the preeminent showcase for DJ talent around the world, are pleased to announce that Serato and Rane have come on board as major sponsors of the DMC World DJ Championships, a collaboration which DMC believes will take DJ creativity to an entirely new level with the ability to use Serato’s Scratch Live.

In order to balance traditional mixing and the popularity of digital vinyl playback, DMC have confirmed that from 2011 the 26 year old event will, like the DMC DJ TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP, permit the use of the software based system Serato Scratch Live in addition to traditional vinyl.

THE BATTLE FOR WORLD SUPREMACY will continue to support pure turntablism, two decks, vinyl and individual flair and creativity. DMC also plan an ON-LINE WORLD DJ CHAMPIONSHIP which will embrace visual mixing, the potential for which was seen at this year’s WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS with performances by DJs Woody and Shiftee.

DMCWORLDTV has established itself as the premier portal for DJ performances and now DMC has plans to launch DMC RADIO, a revolutionary channel featuring DJs covering every genre of dance & hip-hop music transmitting from a variety of servers around the world.

Sally Mclintock (DMC’s World Championship Manager): “We’ve been overwhelmed by the number of DJs who want to use Serato Scratch Live in their 6minute sets and we believe the creative landscape has now been widened. We’re very excited and really pleased to have the full support from Serato and Rane”.

Tony Prince (DMC Founder): “ I know the DJs will take up this new creative challenge and bring their art to a level no one can presently imagine. Expanding the DJ’s creative potential is what DMC has always encouraged and why we are the only World Championship in music that has lasted a quarter of a century, and I just can’t wait to see where the DJs take us with Serato supporting their musical creativity and inspiration in the years ahead. Whilst the DMC Championships will continue to discover the best turntablists in the world and the best DJ teams, we’re about to produce the next generation of DJs, the DJs of a new breed. We’re movin’ on up as we have done for 26 years creating new superstar DJs and my message to the next generation is to unharness their creative ability, check out the new possibilities of using Serato Scratch Live and get ready for the 2011 championships”!

Sam Gribben (Serato Audio Research, General Manager): “DMC is responsible for fostering the culture of competitive turntablism and Serato are honoured to become a major sponsor of this iconic and prestigious event. Preserving the art of vinyl DJing, whilst introducing new technologies for future world champions is a key Serato philosophy. We look forward to a long relationship with DMC, ensuring that competitive DJing continues to moveforward into new realms.”

Dean Standing (RANE CORPORATION, Director of Sales):“We’re excited to expand our involvement with DMC and be a part of the evolution of the preeminent DJ battle competition. We look forward to watching DJs use digital vinyl emulation systems such as Serato Scratch Live to further push the limits of their craft

Soooo... this simply confirms that Scratch Live is being allowed. The implication is that this will allow all sorts of creative opportunities, but doesn't actually state if there are any limitations or not. As I've stated previously, if SSL is simply a replacement for customs, then we can expect to see little in the way of a difference from what we already have. If however the full arsenal of SSL tools is available then we're in for some fun. 

But what about other DVS systems? It's going to be hard enough ensuring that the switchover from DJ to DJ is smooth without multiple DVS usage. Even the S-120 battle at BPM ran into a handful of issues with different versions of SSL and SL boxes. The logistics of handling audio interfaces and SL boxes needs careful planning. 

It does seem however that while this announcement is very much about the official sponsorship from Rane and Serato, other DVS systems (let's be honest here - Traktor Scratch Pro) are still very much in the picture - it's just a matter of working out how this technically can be handled in a live environment. 

How about NI put on their own battle and the winner goes head to head with DMC's for the first real world crown? Just saying...

Honestly, I could write an epic post on how I'd move things forward. This is a start but there's so much more that could be done. 

The King of Crunk Lil Jon Slings Pizzas For Charity in Greenwich Village New York

Lil Jon The King of Crunk Slings Pizza For Charity on Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice

Crunk King, Lil Jon is currently a contestant in the fourth season of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice. While performing a task on the show the Crunk music pioneer was spotted standing on the hood of a van imploring pedestrians to come into Famous Famiglia pizzeria in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village neighborhood.

Video Footage of Lil Jon on The Hood of The Van

The Alabama born rapper/producer wasn’t just trying to sell the most pie. He was also trying to raise money for an unknown charity by getting onlookers to buy as many slices as possible. Jon retweeted a comment from DJ Reach stating that Reach coughed up $150 bucks for a slice. Jon will be filming “Celebrity Apprentice” for the next several weeks with the program scheduled to begin airing in March of 2011.

Lil Jon’s most recent album, Crunk Rock, was released this past June. The record featured appearances by Waka Flocka Flame, R. Kelly, LMFAO, Ying Yang Twinz, The Game, and several others.

Founding Roc-A-Fella Records Member Kareem Biggs Burke Arrested For Alleged Marijuana Drug Ring Involvement

Founding Roc-A-Fella Records member Kareem "Biggs" Burke was arrested today (October 15th) with 42 other people in a ring that allegedly controlled the marijuana market in New York City. According to The New York Daily News, Burke has been a part of the ring since 1992. Federal prosecutors claim that Burke was part of a network that was headed up by Geovanny (Manny) Rodriguez Perez aka "Shorty." Police accused Shorty's network of growing the pot down south, shipping it up north in tractor trailers and returning the proceeds to South Florida, according to Jim Hayes, a special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations For Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Police arrested Burke at his home in North Bergen, N.J. In addition to Burke, an advertising executive for High Times named Matthew Stang was arrested in an 18 month operation, which was dubbed "Operation Green Venom." Agents confiscated $1 million in drug profits and 177 pounds of marijuana from the suspects as well. "This isn't just a group that controlled one block, one neighborhood," Hayes said. "They dominated the wholesale marijuana market in New York for 20 years." Kareem "Biggs" Burke and the others face 10 years to life in prison for allegedly distributing over 1,000 kilos of the drug.

Southern Rapper T.I. Sentenced to 11 Months in Jail

T.I. is heading back to prison, after a federal judge revoked the rapper's probation and sentenced the rap star to 11 months in prison for possessing drugs in September in Los Angeles. T.I. appeared in court today (October 15th) for a hearing that started at 2:00PM, flanked by his team of lawyers that included Ed Garland, Steve Sadow, Don Samuel, Janice Capek, Kristen Wright and Dwight Thomas. The courtroom was packed, as he stood before Judge Charles Pannell Jr. Prosecutors chastised the Grammy Award winning rapper for violating the terms of his federal probation for attempting to purchase machine guns and silencers in October of 2007 and wanted to send him away for two years. During the hearing, a small fire broke out on the side of the courthouse, causing a stir, but the proceedings continued. The rapper's defense attorneys argued that drugs in his system were the result of a root canal and T.I. admitted to using the drugs, after he had dental surgery. The rapper asked the judge to sentence him to rehab for a drug addiction, but he was sentenced to the 11 months in prison, instead.

Jabbawockeez at Wells Fargo Theater w DJ Emir, Ali Pierre, Hypnautic and King Tef

Step It Up 2010 at The Wells Fargo Theater, Denver. Featuring the Jabbawockeez, DJ Emir, Ali Pierre, Hypnautic,  King Tef and performances by local Dance Crews.

Saturday September 25th The Season One winners of "MTV's Americas Best Dance Crew", Jabbawockeez will be doing a special performance in Denver Colorado at the Wells Fargo Theater. The Dance group is scheduled to start performing daily shows at the Monte Carlo Casino in Las Vegas so this will probably be your last chance to catch these amazing performers outside of their Vegas show.

The Jabbawockeez are a sensational dance crew and Vegas Performance act. You may remember the Homage to them on Step Up 2 The Streets as well as their actual appearance in the movie and on the DVD as One of major crews in the final dance off battle. They always create memorable routines and moves with customized music made specifically for their performances. They wear masks so you focus on them as a collective group rather than focusing on each individual dancer and as a group they are unmatched, creating spectacular dance routines and stage show performances of the highest caliber.
Jabbawockeez will be headlining this major performance with additional performances by Denver dance crews BreakEFX, Dance2live, HYPE 303 and Colorado Dance Collective. There will also be performances by local and national recording artists Ali Pierre, Hypnautic, King Tef and International DJ sensation DJ Emir Santana.

The show is this Saturday (September 25th 2010) so if you don't already have your tickets yet make sure you pick them up at the Wells Fargo Theater Box Office (303)228-8205 or at http://www.ticketweb.com/
for a direct link just CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Jabbawockeez show Flyer Design / Poster Design Front

Jabbawockeez Show Flyer Design Back

We are all very excited to go to this event. Jabbawockeez were amazing on Season One of Americas Best Dance Crew and on the Step Up 2 The Streets Movie / DVD. Getting a chance to see them live in a beautiful venue like the Wells Fargo Theater is going to be amazing.

The Passing Away of A Legend R.I.P. Guru

R.I.P. Guru of Gangstarr You Will Be Missed

We were praying Guru would fully recover and get well, but unfortunately Guru passed away earlier this year.   Apparently Guru had been battling Cancer for the past year and it eventually became too much stress on his body. We mourn the loss of this Great Hip Hop Music Legend and send his family and friends our condolences.

We had met both Guru and his business partner Solar back in 2007 and were quite impressed by the duo's demeanor and poise. We of course knew who Guru was and were enthralled to meet a Hip Hop Legend that had inspired us during youth. We had met Guru a while back, but this was our first time being introduced to Solar in person. At that time we had no idea that Guru and Premier had severed all ties. The amount of separation would soon be revealed in a letter released after his death.

Guru's longtime collaborator and partner Solar mourns his loss and explained that Guru had written a letter to his fans that was to be released upon his death.

"The world has lost one of the best MCs and hip-hop icons of all-time — my loyal best friend, partner, and brother, Guru," Solar said. "Guru has been battling cancer for well over a year and has lost his battle! This is a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it, but tragically, this did not happen. The cancer took him. Now the world has lost a great man and a true genius."

Born on July 17, 1966, near Boston, Guru rose to fame in the late 1980s as part of the duo Gang Starr with partner DJ Premier. The pair helped define the New York underground rap sound in the 1990s. Their unique sound combined Premier's production palette, which leaned heavily on sampled jazz records and scratched vocals on the choruses, with Guru's uncompromising rhymes. Although the pair would work separately as often as they did together - Guru's Jazzmatazzseries of albums and Premier's work with Nas, Jay-Z, and underground act Group Home - Gang Starr continued to release critically acclaimed material throughout the late '90s and early 2000s.

Their 1998 album Moment of Truth was among their most critically lauded collections and Gang Starr's biggest-selling project to date. Gang Starr's last group project, The Ownerz, was released in 2003.
Guru found solo fame in 1993 when he released the first volume of his Jazzmatazz series, an all-star project that featured a number of collaborations with jazz icons such as Branford Marsalis, Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers and Ronny Jordan, as well as vocals from French producer Solaar and N'Dea Davenport of the Brand New Heavies. The album's mixture of jazz and rap was considered pioneering at the time, and the record spawned the hit "Trust Me." Guru would go on to make four volumes in the series.


According to Solar, Guru wrote his farewell letter while in the hospital.

"I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world," it begins. "I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options."

"I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting."

"My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody's feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my son KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf [of] myself and my son until he is of age to accept on his own."

Guru very pointedly distanced himself from Premier in the letter, saying he didn't want his former musical collaborator to be able to participate in any tributes or events surrounding his death.

"I do not wish my ex-DJ [DJ Premier] to have anything to do with my name likeness, events, tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this," wrote Guru. "I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ."

"As the sole founder of Gang Starr, I am very proud of what Gang Starr has meant to the music world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with Gang Starr or Jazzmatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now."

"The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small-mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life."

Guru's family — from whom he was reportedly estranged, along with other past associates — had not commented on his death, and last month his nephew Justin Nicholas-Elam Ruff posted several emotional videos on YouTube saying that Solar was preventing them from seeing the MC during his illness. 

Prayers for Guru of Gangstarr After He Suffers a Heart Attack

On February 28th 2010, Guru suffered a severe heart attack and is currently in a coma. 

We were busy posting on Twitter when we heard that legendary lyricist and rapper Guru of Gangstarr suffered a heart attack and went into a coma. Guru is scheduled to go under the knife for heart surgery tomorrow and we wanted everyone in the Hip Hop community to extend a huge prayer for his well being. Thinking back on our favorite Hip Hop songs of all time Guru and Gangstarr hold three or four spots in our favorite Hip Hop songs of all time list with "Mass Appeal" "DWYK" and a few other songs.

For those that don't know him Guru (born Keith Elam, July 17, 1966 in the Boston neighborhood of Roxbury) is a Hip Hop Legend who worked together along with DJ Premier as the members of Gang Starr,
(look up Gangstarr or Guru on www.youtube.com and learn a little more about Hip Hop History and listen to some classic tracks). Guru was One of Hip Hop's second generation / golden era stars in the 80's and 90s'. Guru recorded countless hits as part of the Duo Gangstarr consisting of Guru & Now legendary producer DJ Premier. Guru also recorded a few major solo album projects labelled Jazzmatazz (a further fusion of jazz and Hip Hop that Gangstarr was already famous for) Guru and Gangstarr have had a major influence on many of Hip Hop's greats including people like Jay-Z, Biggie, Tupac, Jeru The Damaga and some of todays latest artists. 



In 2007 Guru was ranked at 45 for the Top 50 MCs of our time: 1987-2007


Guru later on took on a new producer "Solar" as a partner for many of his later projects. Guru has continued recording music through the new century and had recently posted on Twitter "Are my fans ready for a new Gang Starr Album" Many fans wondered if this also meant DJ Premier might produce a few of the tracks or if most of the tracks would be produced by Guru's new producer Solar.


Tonight before going to bed pray for his health and that he makes a strong speedy and resiliant recovery. - Get well Guru! May real Hip Hop Live forever.

Mardi Gras Party & Grand Opening of Fat Tuesdays

Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Party

Last Year we had a blast at Mardi Gras parties all around the Denver Metro Area

This Year we are going to party it up for Mardi Gras at Oasis Nightclub 1523 Market St Denver CO. 80202

Fat Tuesday The official Mardi Gras Party in America is the huge traditional party from New Orleans based on the party stylings of Carnival. It always falls on Fat Tuesday, the Tuesday before ASH Wednesday. It has grown to be such a huge event in New Orleans that it's fame, reputation and style has reached across America and sprouting Fat Tuesday parties at nightclubs across the nation.

This year Fat Tuesday falls on Tuesday February 16th 2010. A few of our friends are gathering together along with tons of other Mardi Gras revelers at The New Club Oasis at 15th & Market in Denver CO.

Two of our favorite DJs, DJ Emir & DJ Dangerous Dan will be on the turntables.
They will also be giving away masks, mixtape CDs and beads.

Doors open early with a happy hour from 7pm-9pm followed quickly by the DJ Dance party at 9pm.
The club also features a Hookah Lounge that stays open as an after hours spot til 4am.