MOG

Hip Hop is dead... So says De La Soul and me for the last few years.

There is a new sound in Hip Hop that is easy to find, but once you are there the feeling is special. I went to the Ise Lyfe show/record release party at the Oakland Metro about a month ago and was floored. The scene was straight out of a Keak tha Sneak video, but the sound coming out of the speakers was a mixture of Poor Righteous Teachers meets Jill Scott with a touch of Ramsey Lewis courtesy of DJ Treat-U-Nice.

The show starts and Ise appears, the crowd of 200 erupts with the sensation of mass hysteria because they know the man on stage. I however do not, but was quickly converted and Hip Hop was given back to me in the same way it was when I first time I heard Run DMC's "Hard Times" in 1984 at the corner of 26th and Harrison from a boombox in Garfield Park. The performance was spoken word, guerilla funk and jazzy breakbeats with a slice of Oakland on the side. The words were relevant in today’s socio-economic/political environment and the message was uplifting.

I am white, was born in South East London to a Father who is Irish and an English Mother, but I grew up poor on two different continents. So, Hip Hop speaks to me on many levels and Ise Lyfe is just what I need to make me/my ears very happy.

As an independent artist he has accomplished a lot, but is not available nationally. I am lucky enough to know him, his brother and am in the process of helping him bring his message to the masses. I can't call this a shameless plug because I am proud to be associated with his camp. In the Bay you can get his album at all Rasputin’s locations and from his record label website. Here are a couple of links so that you can learn more:

http://www.iselyfeline.com/ http://www.myspace.com/iselyfe http://www.mp3.com/stories/5975.html http://www.allhiphop.com/features/?ID=1458 http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=1433 http://www.eastbayexpress.com/Issues/2006-08-09/music/music.html http://www.hardknockrecords.com/

Check him out, he is worth it.

foward > KIARAN