The RUB! Best of 2008 Mix!

Big up to THE RUB fams out in NYC! What better way to bring in the new year than "The Best of 2008" by Cosmo Baker, DJ Ayers and Dj Eleven! The free download is 2+hours of RUB stylism... Enjoy and be safe tonight fam!
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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PART 1
Q-Tip - Gettin Up
Erykah Badu - Soldier
The Roots ft Wale & Chrisette Michelle - Rising Up
B.o.B. - I'll Be In the Sky
Jadakiss ft Ne-Yo - By My Side
Lloyd ft Lil Wayne - Girls Around The World (DJ Ayres Blend)
Big Boi ft Raekwon & Andre 3000 - Royal Flush
Rick Ross ft T-Pain - The Boss
T-Pain - Can't Believe It (Benja Style Blend)
Movado - Am So Special
Serani - Play It Straight
Mavado - Money Changer + Get Money Remix
Lil Wayne ft T-Pain - Got Money (DJ Ayres Blend)
Stephen & Damion Marley - The Mission
Santogold - Creator
Ludacris ft T.I. - Wish You Would
Bun B ft Lil Wayne - Damn I'm Cold
Young Jeezy - My President
Big Tuck ft Trae & Slim Thug - Not A Stain On Me (Houston remix)
John Legend & Andre 3000 - Green Light
Tittsworth ft Pitbull & Nina Skye - Here He Comes (DJ Day remix)
Busta Rhymes - Don't Touch Me
Robin Thicke - Magic
Estelle - Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)
Q-Tip - Move
J-Boogie ft Zumbi of Zion I & Rithma - For Your Love
Raphael Saadiq - Never Give You Up
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (DJ Day Alternative Mix)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PART 2
Shawty Redd & Big Gipp - Drifter
Kanye West & Mr Hudson - Paranoid
Estelle - No Substitute Love (Treasure Fingers Remix)
Common & Pharrell - Universal Mind Control
Fully Fitted - 100 Million
Pase Rock - Get Money Kids (OG + Nacho Lovers Remix)
Treasure Fingers - Cross The Dancefloor (Laidback Luke remix)
A-Trak & Laidback Luke - Shake It Down
Blaqstarr - Get Your Handz Up (Nadastrom Remix)
Crookers - Big Money Comin
Fake Blood - Blood Splashing (Fake Blood Theme)
Boy 8-Bit - The Cricket Scores
Studio Apartment - I'm in Love (Rasmus Faber Epic Remix)
Osunlade ft Divine Essence - My Reflection (DJ Gregory Remix)
Surkin - White Knight 2
Nacho Lovers - Acid Life (DJ Eli Remix)
Juan Maclean - Happy House (Lee Douglas Remix)
Hercules & Love Affair - Blind (Frankie Knuckles Remix)
MGMT - Kids
Santogold - You'll Find A Way
Think Almost Twice - Chikiba
N.E.R.D. - You Know What
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Peace, Justice and Liberation in 2009!
One heart, one mind, one struggle!

TAX DOLLARS KILL, TDK Crew (1995)

The Tax Dollars Kill production was a great moment in Oakland/Bay Area graffiti. The concept came from the TDK brothers Mike Dream and Spie in 1995. That's Dream in the photo. Whenever Spie and Dream connected on a wall, you could be sure that the message would be strong and the styles would be fierce. The Tax Dollars Kill production represents what writing graffiti is all about for me... blasting the truth and calling out the oppressors. In style!

Unfortunately our government continues to prove that the words still stand (although the mural is gone). Thoughts and prayers for the loss of life in Gaza. Long live a free Palestine! Get your ass in the streets!

TDK: The Dream Khronicles

"THIS IS IIIIIIIIIT! THIS IS IIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTT!"
-IZ the Wiz, Style Wars, (Tony Silver, 1983, 70 minutes, color/b&w, 16mm)

If you haven't seen Style Wars, you should as soon as humanly possible. Back in the day, we usta have to dig like fuck just to find a VHS copy all fuzzy from being a 8th generation copy... nevertheless an integral part of a young writer's development... yall know.

Subway Theme from Wild Style
Start this track and click play on the video!

Big up to the TDK CrewFamilyMassive... The pieces as they appear in the video are KING 157, DYL by Dylska, JASE, STASH, MEUT, GYRO, AMEND, SPIE, DONE, VOGUE, KRASH, MERX and PAK by Spie. The "OAKLAND WALL OF FAME" is by Krash with background by Done (dope! and easier to see in person).

The overall theme of the Oakland contribution to the wall, "THE DREAM KHRONICLES" is a dedication to the TDK brothers in the spirit world. KURL, PAK ONE, PLAN BEE 11-5, Mike DREAM TDK who all called 23rd St. yard home and BURNED this wall with the some of the dopest styles west of the Mississippi. The Background is all renderings of photos from Mike Dream's flick box throughout the lifetime of the 23rd St. Yard(they came out HELLA fresh)... The pieces rocked are a testament to the style and heart put into a culture we made in an ignored corner of a ghetto you know the name of.

I wouldn't trade my time in that yard for anything. In a world gone mad, nothing means as much as the alliances we choose.


T.D.K. The DREAM Khronicles from Willie Maze on Vimeo.

THE DREAM KONTINUESThe future of TDK... Sir Jahar, Prince Akil(Dream's son), and Princess Bella B at Malcolm X Jazz Arts Festival 2007.

Class is in Session!

In my evolution, there are the kindred, those I look to for opinions, homie love, and good times. Those that are proud of where we're from and our influences, but somehow never satisfied, always looking forward, always pushing in their own way. Those that get it like I get it. I been meaning to do a "HOMIE LOVE" post on the reg, and am overdue. Don't trip, I'ma make it up to yawl... ALL week.

The Honor Roll crew makes the music I wanna hear. The crew is deep to the tune of Trackademicks, DJ Tap 10, Spank Pops, Josie Stingray, 1 O.A.K., Mike Baker the Bike Maker, and Mox to the More. Trackademicks is one of the Bay's foremost producer/mc's and at the center of the sound that is the HONOR ROLL. The sound slaps like we like it in the Bay, but don't get it twisted, they take their cues from everywhere and then some. TrackyD was just awarded a Goldie by the SF Bay Guardian and the 'Roll is celebrated wherever forward looking Artists, DJs, and producers are seen and heard. ... so like the young man says, "Class is in session!"

Mox to the More - Guzzlin Guiness feat. Trackademicks
This track makes me wanna slap someone and have a beer. In a good way.


Spank Pops - Hangin feat. 1 O.A.K.
Spank and 1 O.A.K. do the damn over this Loose Ends classic...
T

Chromeo - 100% (Trackademicks B-Live Pemberton Remix)
Trackademicks puts his hands to a Chromeo heater and turns it out! Fools Gold/Honor Roll? Fuck yeah!

I'ma hit yall with more Honor Roll tracks this week... stay tuned... Fuck it here's more.

Mike Baker the Bike Maker - Lets Make it Happen feat. Trackademicks
Mike Baker and Trackademicks flex styles over this bouncy feelgood sound... referencing old school flavor with updated content and style. Watchout for the give and go on the last verse! Hot!


Kenna - Say Goodbye to Love (Trackademicks Remix feat. Mike Baker)
The Mike Baker blues makes for good listening and the video below is kinda eerie but dope!


In case you missed it or g-d forbid SLEPT on this, here's the [RE]MIXTAPE here it is... all you gotta do is look at a little Z-Share ass. It's a good cross section of what goes down in the Honor Roll camp, with fresh remixes from Trackademicks, mixed by DJ Tap 10. Taa dow!
Trackademicks - The [RE]Mixtape Vol. 2

I know you like what you hear... do yourself a favor & buy music! Go see them live!

Tonight two great boxing traditions square up... two hard working nations represented that get shit on by U.S. Capitalism and Emperialism ("e" on purpose) get to beat the shit out of each other... (Hey, wait a second...) It's no contest really, active vs. retired, hungry vs. paid, and one has a the cooler name and roots for the G-Men ... PAC MAN! Thanks to big brother Corey for hitting me with the photo... Go PAC MAN! GO GIANTS!

Herve- Rocky Raver
Granted, this song is bugged, but considering tonight's main event... it works.

"DOWN BY LAW" Oakland Wall of Fame Prequel

Krash TDK's dedication to Dream of the 23rd Yard... pressure washed to remove all the layers of paint that were peeling off.

Fab 5 Freddy- Down By Law

I'm hella excited about the 23rd Yard "Oakland Wall of Fame" being completed, I can't wait to get down there and take connector photos and video of the entire wall. The taped together 4"x6" prints alone will be at least about 20 feet long. In anticipation of full completion, check these photos and video i took of the wall the day before production began. It was an honor to see the wall stripped down to the bone revealing how much time, energy, and love went into the wall so many of us called home. For me, it literally was home, I grew up on the other side of the big shady wall at 23rd, and painted my first toy pieces on the shorty wall. I usta throw rocks at bottles in the Yard before I ever thought I would be painting alongside the masters I watched develop while taking the shortcut home so I could watch cartoons. In later days, after school I was there every day painting, meeting writers, hanging out, and watching kings paint. Chances are I seen almost every piece that makes up each layer, and that each layer I made is in my blood (literally, i don't think the toxins ever leave)... In the video below, one of my Maestros talks about the wall and what a trip it is to see all the layers down to the bricks over 20 years later. Also discusses his process for laying out pieces on the 23rd Yard Wall... take notes!

23rd Interview 2 from Willie Maze on Vimeo.


Burner by Buter TMF dedicated to King Dream TDK...

The Photo above is a rough layout of the wall plan Krash TDK made. Didn't quite work out like that but it's a cool document. This is just the Bay Area sampling of the wall. Some of the Nation's best writers from across the country came out to rock the Oakland Wall of Fame. Big up Krash for bringing it all together, this shit is a monumental task to say the least!

In the video below, another OG writer discusses his anticipation of what's to come on this wall...

23rdYard Interview 1. from Willie Maze on Vimeo.

Looking forward to showing you all that and more soon...