Fat Tuesday: Mardi Gras New Orleans

Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday a national tradition especially in the local community of New Orleans famous Burbon Street. But with the devastation that was Hurrican Katrina also came another devastation. With so much attention on the community from the Katrina media coverage, also came the religious outcry "They are a town of Sin, and we must stop the debotchery" and "God will punished them for their sins!"

We were watching Ellen Degeneres on TV and saw that she was wearing a DEFEND New Orleans T-shirt for her Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday special. and that is what we feel we must do.

The people and visitors of New Orleans have every right to party as they see fit, it's their tradition, their identity and it is what makes them a unique city with a deep musical and cultural heritage. Their once a year celebration is a huge cultural gathering and tradition that helps bring tons of money to their city. It is a festival that makes their city unique and fascinating, and a city worth viviting. With such a rich and diverse musical heritage the city has become a haven for some of the best Jazz, and contemporary music artists. This heritage should not be destroyed simply for the sake of religious fanatics, that don't understand that the celebration also has partial roots in religion as well.

Many times the most religious people overstep their boundries and always forget the One teaching in the bible more than any other teaching, "Judge not lest ye be judged" If these sinners want to sin let them, will they not have to be judged later for their actions today? Having the government step in to regulate Fat Tuesday simply means an unconstitutional and possibly expensive endeavor.

Lets just leave it at, if you don't want to be a part of it then just don't be a part of it. But don't try and stop others from doing what they want. Just look the other way, stay in your home, don't ewatch the footage and soon it will be Ash Wednesday and you can pray for all their eternally damned souls.

- Vanessa V. of The Great Hip Hop Blogspot

Pre Grammy Drama: Chris Brown Beats Down Singer Rihanna Before The Grammies

LOS ANGELES, February 8 (UPI) -- Singer Chris Brown faces a possible felony charge in connection with an incident involving singer Rihanna, Los Angeles police sources said Sunday.
Bail was set at $50,000 Sunday evening as the Grammy-nominated R&B star was booked on suspicion of making felony criminal threats, LAPD sources told the Los Angeles Times. Brown, 19, turned himself in to police Sunday evening at the Los Angeles Police Department Wilshire Division station.

Citing sources familiar with the investigation, the Times said police were investigating the incident as a felony domestic violence case. Law enforcement sources told TMZ police received a call about the incident at 12:30 a.m. Sunday, and arrived to find a woman who claimed Brown, 19, assaulted her during an argument in a car.

Police said in a statement the woman was Brown's girlfriend, the singer Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, the Times reported. The woman reportedly had visible injuries and Brown was not at the scene when police arrived.
Recording Academy officials announced Rihanna, 20, would not perform as scheduled Sunday at the Grammy Awards. Soul singer Al Green took her spot on the show, the Times said.
TMZ said when it contacted Rihanna's representatives for a statement regarding the incident, a publicist said: "Rihanna is well. Thank you for your concern and support."
A spokesman for Brown's record label did not respond to a Times request for comment on the report.

Rihanna and Brown were nominated for the Grammy for best pop collaboration with vocals -- Rihanna for "If I Never See Your Face Again," which she recorded with Maroon 5, and Brown for "No Air," which he performed with Jordin Sparks. The Grammy went to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for "Rich Woman."

Rihanna was also up for best dance recording for "Disturbia." The Grammy in that category went to Daft Punk for "Harder Better Faster Stronger

Las Vegas Nightclub and Midwest Nightclub Tour

In January 2009 DJ Emir Did a quick mini midwest tour Droping his genius mixes, DJ abilities and remixes on fans in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Las Vegas.

Before heading back to Denver DJ Emir's last stop was Las Vegas where his style of mixing really took off. Completely frenzying the crowd at all three spots he mixed at, Emir really put it down hard on the turntables the entire week. He must have really been feeling it when he was in Vegas this time cause he was killing it with the live remixes, mixes, juggles and scratches.

On Saturday Emir must have been digging deep into his repertoir because he even surprised us with some of the insane mixes he put together. I think a few people were surprised to find out DJ Emir resides in Denver, They just couldn't believe Denver had such a talented DJ hidden in what they thought was a One horse town. DJ Emir's originally from Puerto Rico and New York, but that will be our little secret ;).

Our blog team was given a huge amount of mixtape CDs from Emir as promotional giveaways just a month earlier. We hadn't had a chance to really hand out a ton of them so when Emir invited us to meet up with him in Las vegas for the last part of his Midwest tour we figured we'd bring some along. Knowing the team would bump into several hundred people throughout this trip we brought with us over 1000 of DJ Emir's hot mixtape cds which we gave away to Emir's new fans and a few familiar faces as well.

Talks are in the works to haveDJ Emir come back to Las Vegas a little more often. We also dropped Ironman mixtape CDs at many of the other casinos he wasn't performing at in an attempt to help One of our favorite DJs pick up a few Vegas residencies or special events. (We'll keep you all posted)

On his days off we met up with Emir and we all visited other nightclubs and other casinos to check out what we expected to be awsome nights of great dJs and entertainment. But we were sadly dissapointed by many of the spots as their deejays simply didn't match up in intensity, style or ability to many of the other DJs we have become accustomed to hearing.

Las Vegas, known for its huge casinos and lavish nightclubs had fallen off a little on some of their nightclub DJ standards. Lazy deejays were croping up at the most unlikely nightclubs. We spoke to some associates from LA about how our friend was dissapointed about the Deejays in LA when he first moved out there. They mentioned they too were dissapointed when they first moved out to LA as well, we mentioned our surprise dissapointment over the Las Vegas DJ Scene. That's when they suggested it's partly because Vegas is importing the same DJs from the Los Angeles scene. Apparently Vegas has fallen victim to flying out a few of the lazy Deejays of Los Angeles. Which is a shame since there are many other great deejays out there that are far better deserving of a residency in one of the entertainment capitals of the world.

We did however find A few other exceptional DJs during the nights, One other hot DJ out in Vegas was DJ Serafin of the Crooklynclan/CrackforDJs crews. DJ Serafin's mix style energy and enthusiasm was much like DJ Emir's style of mixing. DJ Serafin really knew how to rock the crowd and reaffirmed our faith in Las Vegas nightclubs and Las Vegas DJs. After hearing him live we can now add DJ Serafin to our growing list of favorite nightclub DJs which now include: DJ Serrafin, DJ AM, DJ Craze, DJ Emir, DJ Z-Trip, DJ Vajra, and DJ Sniper.

Picture of DJ Serafin

We were unable to catch DJ AM this time arround but he always puts on a great show as does DJ-Ztrip, we were fortunate enough to catch both of those guys at Beta nightclub in Denver when they came through this past year. Z-trip signed DJ Emir's jacket, so I guess you could say Z-Trip is also One of our our favorite DJ's favorite DJ :) LOL



DJ Emir Made some decent cash while in Vegas but being a gambleing city well lets just say he reinvested in Vegas nightlife. Lesson learned, we hope, next time just keep him busy deejaying and watching Vegas shows, no gambling. PS- when in Vegas always take payment in a check... LOL

Of course Vegas is also well known for gambling as well as for it's great live performance shows We decided to catch the Circue Du Soleil show Zumanity which was playing at the New York, New York Hotel It was a funny sexy show with plenty of the unique and insane talents and performers you come to expect from a Circue Du Soliel Show.

This particular show wasn't the one to take the kiddies to with its very erotic displays and very sexual nature. We rather enjoyed the show and the abilities of the performers. We were also very impressed with the strength and balance of all the performers especially the strength of the smallest of them and the lady that did the flying ribbon act both their shoulders had to be extremely powerful to withstand the forces they were exerting on themselves with the huge drops and sudden stops they were making with the cloth.



Hotel New York New York. Each of the hotel towers is actually fashioned after New York Citys most famous downtown buildings. And there is a huge rollercoaster that you can ride all day. When I say huge it's one of the bigger ones we've seen in our travels.

We didn't have the time to ride it this time (at least we couldn't convince the scardy cats to get on board anyway) We'll be sure they at least take pictures of us on the ride next time if they don't want to come along. P***s LOL.



DJ Emir is always small in stature but bigger than life when he's on the turntables! LOL Here Emir is Shown with the much taller New York New York Casino hostesses.

The Palazzo / Venitian hotel has a beatiful Venice Canal gondola section with a replica of Venice's famous canal system. Tons of fun if you have the time to hop aboard for an hour or so.

DJ Emir Mixtape fans were found all over Las Vegas, from Casino to Casino as we found many existing fans and  also created new fans out in Las Vegas. We had a few CDs left after the tour and handed the rest out at the airports which always makes us feel bad when we hear... "if someone you don't know tries to hand you something...." LOL

Coming back to freezing weather after a small stint down south was quite harsh, and during these cold months Denver's scene dies off a little on its snowy and ultra cold days, but I think we were all pretty much partied out and ready for a rest anyway... but so much for that plan, cause it's back to grinding away as usual.

See you all on the next leg of the tour if he invites us again, hope to catch you in your town soon. Vanessa V Blogger and Journalist Extraordinaire.

To book DJ Emir or other hot Deejays call 303 995-0875
or email him at mixshow @ DJ Emir . Com


-Vanessa V. The Great Music Blog

Ironman Mixtape Hits the Mark with its High Level Intensity and Diversity

The Iron Man movie was a blast. We all loved the movie and now we all love the mixtape! The follow up to the Transformers mixtape finally arrived at our offices and the feelings were unanimous. This mixtape is insane! One of the hottest DJ mixes we have in our mixtape collection. The Mixtape starts off with a super hardcore intro litterally calling out all Deejays with no skills by utilizing lines from Ludacris' song "Tell It Like It Is"and KRS One's "The DJ"

DJ Emir basically puts the lines together by scratching and cutting up the records using his hands and skills to state:

"Things ain't always what they seem or [scratch Scratch] cracked out to be like all these fakin ass... [Scratch Scratch] DJs, all these fakin ass.. D-D-D-Deejays in the industry" Then continues with "Get Your Business right Boys the First [Scratch Scratch] Cla-Cla-Cla-Class is in session... Lets get into this... if you got serato [scratch Scratch scratch] Bra-br-bra-bravo but if you can't cu-cu-cu-cut vinyl records you won't be able to fa-fa-fa-follow me!"

So the mixtape starts off at full blast and just never backs down. It bangs out extreme mixes and insane remixes the rest of the way through and leaves you wanting more. DJ Emir's quick mix style is what gives his mixtapes their intense energy and wow factor. It also is the reason Emir is able to jam over 60 tracks of heat into his mixtapes. The Iron Man Mixtape really lives up to the "Real Mixtapes" standard and continues the legacy of great mixtapes that the djemir.com franchise has come to stand for. The quality of the mixes and the overall production on the mixtape is superb. The party is non stop and is definitly in the house whenever you pop this baby into your CD player or Ipod.

We at the Great Hip Hop Music Blogspot whole heartedly recomend DJ Emir's Ironman mixtape and also his Transformers Mixtape (VIP Nightclub magazines 2008 Mixtape of the year) as crucial additions to any avid mixtape collectors ultimate mixtape collection.

Transformers Mixtape Crowned Mixtape of The Year

Mixtape of The Year: And The winner is...
DJ Emir Transformers Mixtape



Our pick for Mixtape of the year was an easy landslide winner. DJ Emir's Transformers Mixtape simply blew past the mixtape competition. The sophistication, level of the mixing and overall production made this an instant mixtape classic and an instant office favorite. Many of us recieved the mixtape over 8 months ago and are still banging it in our rides to this day! That says a ton considering most of us listen to a mixtape only once or twice before getting bored and moving on.

The mixes on the Transformers Mixtape were very well thought out and put together with a mastery rarely found on other mixtapes. The mixtape game has been "transformed" back to it's roots, "the ultimate party in a box." You won't find fade outs, overt yellin or gunshots covering song fades, the only fades you'll find on The Transformers mixtape is DJ Emir cutting it up with the fader. Real mixing, surprising remixes, superior mix sets and a true mixtape theme that tie this mixtape together and transform it into an instant mixtape classic worthy of the title Mixtape of the Year

Guess we weren't the only Ones that were ultra impressed by DJ Emir's Transformers mixtape it was our pick for mixtape of the year as well and we made sure everyone we encountered in our travels and everyone we worked with, hung out with or partied with had a listen to our pick for mixtape of the year. Apparently others thought the same way and the Mixtape was also labelled mixtape of the year by Two other publications including VIP Nightclub Magazine and the Mixtape Review Board.

If you don't already have the Transformers Mixtape we highly recomend that you go get it as soon as possible. From what we heard the supplies for the mixtape were dwindling down to almost zero and they had to order another batch to meet the demand. So don't miss out on One of the hottest mixtapes in recent history. Get your copies today at www.DJEMIR.com

we would also recommend other mixtapes in the series including the StarWars Mixtape the Drunken Master Mixtape, and the Last Dragon Mixtape Also look for future releases at www.DJEMIR.com including the highly anticipated Ironman Mixtape which Emir assured us would be ready to ship by the time we wrote this review. We anxiously await to see if he can reproduce or top the Transformers mixtape in style and quality.

Hip Hop's Coming of Age

With it's huge popularity spike in the late 1990's and early 2000's Hip Hop now is the predominant sound heard coming out of almost every major nightclub in America. Unlike many past generations where there has been a huge jump musically, Hip Hop has spanned several generations of fans. For many new fans it may be hard to believe that Hip Hop is as old as their parents that it actually started over 30 years ago in the urban ghettos of The Bronx and Queens New York. Given that the MC appears to be at the core of Hip Hop as we now know it, it may be hard for this generation to understand that it was always the DJ that ultimately was the heart and soul of Hip Hop music and its resulting culture. But as Hip Hop continued to evolve over the past three decades it commercialized and greedy profiteers tried to seperate the elements of Hip Hop (Deejaying, Emceeing, Breaking & Art/Graphiti) deeming the MC as more important than the DJ when it came to selling "the product" and would seperate the two. But in the end it would be inevitable that Hip Hop would One day mature and want to be reunited with the creators it ran away from. Today we are witnessing Hip Hop's new coming of age.

While in many ways it may seem that the DJ has practically been removed from the equation, there is a huge movement taking Hip Hop back to it's roots. DJs are now remixing many classics and adding more classic Hip Hop and disco era tracks back into rotation. They are breathing new life back into the staggnating beats and limiting views that "Rap Music" was starting to create.

While Hip Hop once was centered around loops created from pre-existing Funk, Rock, Soul & Disco records it moved away from this practice and as a result partially lost it's soul. Beats became stagnant, and lyrics also took a dive for commercial gains. Newer generations lost touch with the music of the previous generations and many of the old fans were left to wonder what happened to their favorite artists leading to NAS' question "where are they now?"

There are a select few from these eras that still put out albums and singles that have the strength to go the distance. Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, KRS One, Guru, Too Short, E-40 and a few others along with later generations like Nas, Jay-Z, and a handful of others. All others from those eras now exist only through their fans, their legacies and the Deejays that still have their records and still play them to thousands of new fans.

Hip Hop is still evolving, it once was all about the perfect party vibe or getting out an important message then branched out to its darker side with Gangster Rap, Hardcore and more violent lyrics. It now is again evolving, taking Techno and Electro head on by actually using and modifying Electro beats and sounds and incorporating it into the Hip Hop genre. The playing speed of hip hop has widened in range to now also include Electronic nightclub music speeds making it even more accesible and energetic for todays nightclub crowds.

So now we ask once again, "what of the original Hip Hop gurus, where are they now?" They're making a comeback from the unsung heroes that have been there for Hip Hop (and music in general) the whole time, the Deejays. Deejays are digging in their crates blending and mashing up the old with the new and the new with the newer, the Rock with Hip Hop and Techno. It is Hip Hop's coming of age, it has come full circle and now Hip Hop is being created again the way it was always intended, without the boundries we later labeled it with. Boundries like "Rap Music vs Techno vs Country vs Rock" the boundries have been erased and the music that is being re-created is purely amazing. Public Enemy gets remixed over a DJ Khaled beat, Eric B and Rakim classics remixed over newer Timbaland beats, LL Cool J over DJ Feli Fel Beats, Jay-Z over Hard Rock Hits you name it and someone has masterfully re-created it. DJ's like The Rockit-Scientists, DJ Sizzahandz, John Farrugio, DJ Emir, Victor Menegaux, DJ Z-Trip, DJ AM, The Klutch Beat Boutique and countless others.



While we as huge fans of Das EFX would personally love to see the boys back in the game, we will gladly listen to their classics and remixes of their classics again and again in the clubs, on the mixtapes and in mixshow sets across the globe, from the new breed of Deejays that are breathing new life back into the nightclub scenes and Hip Hop scenes of the world.

If you want to hear some hot classic cuts revisited there are several hot Deejays that we recommend you see live. DJ Z-Trip, DJ AM, DJ Emir, DJ Craze, DJ Riz and DJ A-Trak

Amongst those Deejays that create remix blends, mashups and mixtapes there are a few choice Deejay websites of note:

www.djztrip.com Z-Trip is one of the original mashup kings, and some consider him as one of the fathers of mashup mixes. He is an amazing DJ when seen live at the nightclubs.

www.djemir.com Home of one of the livest overall nightclub Deejays in the world. The site also features several hot mixtapes including personal favorites the Transformers mixtape , the Iron Man Mixtape and the Star Wars Mixtape

www.DJCraze.com home of the multi DMC world Championship title winning DJ. If you get a chance see him Live at the clubs, the boy is insane. Open your minds and listen, watch and observe a true DJ as he shows everyone the meaning of true skill and mastery of the turntables.

www.DJAM.com One of the worlds most sought after Deejays, AM is a Friday resident at Pure nightclub Las Vegas and also resident at LAX Sunday Nights. He travels the globe Deejaying the worlds top nightclubs and parties and really knows how to put down exciting DJ sets and performances.

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