One city, two days, sixteen photoshoots. This photographer took Philadelphia by storm. I met some of the coolest people, suffered through some of the coldest weather, and drove through some of the worst traffic. I learned a lot about Hip Hop in Philadelphia from those closest to the heart of the matter. The trip was as short as it was long, but this blog is longer. So I’m going to break it down to two posts. Here’s part one….
DAY ONE
Many thanks first and foremost to my wonderful boyfriend Craig (aka Fizz) who set up many of the shoots, and who also introduced me to Steff Douglas (aka Stef Tataz, aka Miss Douglas) who set up the shoots that Craig didn’t. Miss Douglas, whom I had never met, hooked me up!!! Much thanks to Miss Douglas!!! Now I would like to introduce you to Philly’s phinest….
Mutlu – I met up with Mutlu on the stairs of the Philadelphia Art Museum. (You may recognize the steps from the first Rocky movie.) It was absolutely FREEZING when we headed off to meet Mutlu at the museum. The icy cold touched my bones and made them crack. So where does Craig decide to park? Ohhh about ten miles from the museum. So here I am trudging over miles and miles to reach the joint in the freezing freezing cold. We finally met up with Mutlu and took photos all around the museum, you can see Ben Franklin and the city behind him in some of the photos.
During the shoot we spoke about touring, different venue’s he’d played in. He loves playing The Moore in Seattle, as well as the Crocodile Cafe. In Boulder he likes The Fox. We had wardrobe challenges – to wear the scarf or to not wear the scarf. We talked about his album, and his plans to tour in Amos Lee’s band this spring. Mutlu’s got a great laugh and blue blue eyes, he was very gracious and I enjoyed working with him.
Mutlu released an EP in 2004/2005 that was produced by Amos Lee. Mutlu’s first full length CD Livin’ It was produced by T-Bone Wolk, and featured guest appearances by Daryl Hall, Amos Lee, G. Love, Raheem DeVaughn, Mercedes Martinez, and Sharon Little and songwriting collaborations with Amos Lee, Ben Arnold, Scot Sax, Mike Ojike McHenry and Tony Reyes. Check Mutlu’s myspace here.
Mutlu “Little Things” (Live in Houston)
Below is a video of Mutlu singing an unreleased song titled “Board Games” while opening for Amos Lee at the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville, VA . He describes the song as “if Justin Timberlake or Usher sang a song about the more sensual side of board games”
Buy Mutlu’s album Livin’ It here
Kuf Knotz is a Philadelphia area emcee and front man of a group called The Hustle, and the childhood friend of Craig. Craig had to work during my first day of photoshoots, so after the Mutlu shoot, he hopped the L and left me to find Kuf Knots. We also met up at the art museum, Kuf had an idea for a photoshoot in the area. After we finished up the first part of the shoot, we jumped in the car for what we thought was going to be a quick trip around the block…….
You know….when we first got to the museum Craig and I couldn’t figure out what was going on in that part of town that would require a few hundred police cars, helicopters and closed off streets. When Kuf and I got in the car, and couldn’t move for close to thirty minutes, and we figured it out. A police officer had been shot in Philly sometime during the previous weeks, and we were stuck in the middle of the funeral traffic. We literally sat in the same place in the car for thirty minutes. Do you know how awkward things like that can be? I’m steady STRETCHING for things to talk about. It was not easy. BUT we finally got moving and headed over to a bar Kuf knew about.
We parked the car, and crossed the street, and I’m not kidding, we had just walked in front of a stopped car when BAM!!!!!!! A car hits some ice and hits another car and TAKES OFF! Talk about Philadelphia Freedom! Guess it’s a free enough place where people can feel free to hit and run!!! Once we got into the bar Kuf warmed up a bit, both literally and figuratively, and we started talking about the Philly Hip Hop scene. He told me about how it incorporates a lot of different styles and sounds, and how it’s a great place for music. He is a founding member of a fourteen artist collective called The Burndown Allstars. He collaborated with Mutlu and fellow Burndown Allstar Dave Quicks, releasing an album called Karmiq. Check out Kuf Knotz – on his myspace page here and get The Hustle’s music via I-Tunes.
The Hustle “Philadelphia” (Live @ World Cafe Live)
Really feat. Kuf Knotz “Brand New Vibe”
Here are two older songs by Kuf Knotz. I am not sure where “Travelin’” is from but “Conversate” is from Kuf’s original, long defunct group Subtle Ground.
Kuf Knotz is also currently working on a project with Dave Vegas, whom he brought along to the shoot. When I saw Dave coming up the street, the first thing I noticed was his great hair. I couldn’t wait to photograph this guy, his hair reminded of Heat Miser – you know – they guy from the Christmas cartoon, and I just knew he’d shoot like a Rockstar. With his great hair, and his huge sunglasses, he’d be so much fun to photograph, and he was. Dave has a real nice dude, super cool. Dave and I chatted about his album Lady Luck, his day job, and his collaborative work with Kuf. Be on the look out for the collaboration between Dave and Kuf.
I left Dave Vegas and headed out to meet Dave Ghetto at Kazoo’s Barbershop in downtown Philly. The GPS said it was a mile and a half away and that’d take me 7 minutes to get there. Driving down Chestnut street through downtown Philadelphia was ridonculous. Seriously. It took me 45 minutes to go a mile and a half. Poor Dave…I kept sending him text messages like “I’m almost there” and “I’m on Chestnut and blah blah blah” thinking I’ve got to be close! But nooooooo.. 45 minutes. All of which was spent fighting a Pilsner Beer Truck for space on the road. It was worse than driving in Manhattan. I finally got to the spot, and found Dave.
Dave and I walked the streets of downtown Philly. While we walked we had an interesting conversation about Hip Hop in Philly that was close to opposite of the one I’d just had with Kuf. Dave’s has been on the scene forever. I think he sees the scene as a little less open to new artists. Heads tend to stay immersed in the Boom Bap Mentality of Philly Days Gone By and seemingly shy away from embracing new and upcoming artists that don’t fit that traditional mold. We spoke about how that can be a fairly typical scenario in hip hop communities around the country. But I did ask him, if that was true about the Philly scene, how did The Roots fit in? They definitely didn’t fit into the traditional Hip Hop mold when they first hit the scene – live instruments??? No DJ??? That sparked an interesting conversation and brought the topic around to Hustle Simmons Dave’s group with Philadelphia Beatsmith – Tha S Ence. We spoke about how local media has said that Hustle Simmon’s is next in line to take The Root’s spot as Philly’s Premier Hip Hop group. To quote Philadelphia’s The City Paper:
With The Roots in Jimmy Fallon’s grill, Philly must venerate its newest hip-hop heroes, MC Dave Ghetto and programmer/producer Tha S Ence. Hustle Simmons’ dramatic eponymous debut dropped. We talked it up. But the praise is not enough. We have to move units. Buy three for the woman or man you love this Valentine’s Day — all y’all.
Hustle Simmons has that next big thang buzz, they’ve got street credibility, they’ve got talent and know how. They’re going to go a long way. Hustle Simmons’s album is available on Amazon.com (CD & MP3), as well as other fine retailers and features Buff1, DJ Cru Cut, Al Mighty, Richie Rasheen, and Fel Sweetenberg. Check out some of the videos from the project below as well as a couple freestyles from Dave and be sure to check out his site breakbreadprojects.com
Hustle Simmons “Everybody” (Directed by Hezekiah)
Hustle Simmons feat. 84 & Fel Sweetenberg “The Run Down” (Directed by Hezekiah)
I got lost leaving downtown Philly. There are so many slight right and slight left turns trying to get around Ben Franklin I was spinning in circles. Round and round and round….I finally got out of downtown and headed to meet DJ Ultraviolet and Hezekiah. By this time I was exhausted, had eaten a frozen Mac and Cheese in the Whole Foods cafeteria, and had to pee soooooooo bad. So I didn’t call DJ Ultraviolet like I promised I would when I was on my way. I waited til I got to the spot – La Va – where we were supposed to meet. Everyone in Philly had been mad cool up til this point. But homeboy behind the bar had MAD ATTITUDE. Whatever, I ordered my humus and hit the bathroom. After I’d eaten, I called Ultraviolet and she headed over. While I was waiting, I couldn’t place the music playing in La Va. It was so familiar……it sounded like home….
Ultraviolet showed up, and we shot some flicks inside the cafe, while we talked about her life as a DJ. What was funny about Ultraviolet was that I learned more about her later from other people than I did from her! She and Monie Love used to throw parties called LADIES LOVE HIP HOP a long running event in the Philly area. She also threw parties with DJ Ca$h Money called Living Legends. Both parties are legendary in the Philly Hip Hop scene, and she is much revered. She’s worked with everyone from Bahamadia to Jean Grae to Lady Bug Mecca and more. She’s even got a digital record label called Bee Eater and she just signed Fel Sweetenberg.
Ultraviolet spotted Hezekiah walking across the street. So the three of us headed out of doors. The two of them were KILLING ME. Hezekiah told jokes for days. This guy is a clown for sure! We had so much fun walking around. Hezekiah asked the Post Man if we could take photos in his truck – he said no. Hezekiah found a bike chained to a porch, and jumped on it the photos are hilarious. Hezekiah brought out the best in Ultraviolet, once she saw how goofy he was, she really got into the shoot and forgot about the cold she was fighting (poor thing). It was great working with the two of them together. Here’s what Hezekiah didn’t do. He didn’t tell me, when I asked him, about the projects he was working on. Just this and that, and la de da, nothing specific, nothing fabulous. This guy……
We get back to La Va, and meet up with DJ Truth, owner of Good Hands Records, a Philly Record label. Truth is a music industry veteran, and I spent some time in the business as well. We talked about the woes of the music industry. We touched on everything from CD’s being replaced by MP3’s to friends losing jobs to smaller labels replacing bigger labels to the return of the successful independent label. Good Hands has worked with some great artists including Camp Lo, Kurupt, Killah Priest, Craig G, Marley Marl, and more. On February 24th, they are dropping a new album by Lil’ Scrappy “Silence and Secrecy: Black Rag Gang.”
Truth and I headed back to La Va, and Hezekiah and Ultraviolet were still there. I got something hot to drink, the guy behind the bar was still being a jerk. It was then that it hit me who he was listening to. “Is this Built To Spill?” I asked. Homeboy looked at me like I was from another planet. “Yeah…” he said. “Yeah man, I knew I recognized this!!” We then had a nice little conversation about Built To Spill, and I told him about their first album Ultimate Alternative Wavers, which he had never heard of before. Suddenly there was light in the barista’s eyes…and I had gained his respect. Two points for me.
I had some time to kill so I sat and listened to the Truth, Ultraviolet and Hezekiah chop it up. I found it very interesting that when I asked Hezekiah about his upcoming projects he had less than three words to say, but oh boy…watch out….when sitting across from the label owner, the truth comes out….suddenly Hezekiah comes to LIFE! He’s working with Q Tip, he’s working with Posdnuos, he working with so and so and so and and so and so I was like “Hold up??? How come when I asked I got nothing….and this guy get’s the scoop???” It was pretty funny. But I told you, he’s funny guy!!! Check out some videos from Hez’s last album I Predict a Riot, as well as a video for “Many Moons” from his collaborative project with Producer/ Musician, Tone Whitfield (Bilal, John Legend, Erykah Badu, etc.) under the name Johnny Popcorn
Hezekiah feat Jamal “Let’s Get Involved”
Hezekiah feat. Jaguar Wright “I See Yaw”
Hezekiah feat. Bilal “Looking Up”
Johnny Popcorn “Many Moons”
* Bonus * 2 songs with Hez & Freeway:
Hezekiah feat. Freeway “That Filling”
Freeway feat. Hezekiah “As I Ever Been” (produced by Oddisee)
It was getting dark by the time I headed out to meet The Last Emperor. We planned on meeting at a clothing store called Made To Order it took me a minute to find the spot, and when I did my first concern was the lighting. But the lighting turned out to be great. The Last Emperor shots are some of my favorites. That’s saying a lot because to be honest, I love all the photos I took. But there’s something about the ones I got with Last Emp that just…I don’t know….they are dope. He was down to do whatever I asked, between cheesing it up and even getting down on the floor senior portrait style.
Last Emperor talked about his past and his future. During the 1990’s he was often compared lyrically to Rakim, he had mad buzz going on and was busy all the time, working with KRS One, Zac de la Rocha, Common, The Roots, Def Squad and Dr. Dre where he was signed to Aftermath Records, additionally he was signed to Rawkus Records, but didn’t release anything through Rawkus.
Then things slowed down and before he knew it he was working a 9 to 5 and it was three years later….but now all of the sudden….there’s been a resurrection. People are coming out the wood work looking to build with the Emperor and his producer MegaDemus. The weekend I was in Philly, Diamond D was coming to town to with with him, and an album titled Wizard’s Wardrobe is rumored to be released in 2009.
Mick Knox feat. The Last Emp & Baby Blak “The Anthem (the JockBox Joint)”
The Last Emperor “Blackboard Jungle”
Megademus feat. The Last Emp “Red Planet (Caution)”
Here is a fan made video of Emp’s classic song “Secret War”
The Last Emperor “Secret Wars”
Enough was enough. I trudged through the icy streets back to my rental car and went back to the hotel where I was greeted by a filthy disgusting room complete with a slime filled nasty bathtub. Best believe I had someone come clean that bad boy, and I got a free movie. And then. I went to bed.
To be continued…..
