Brown Bag AllStars Anniversary Blowout

How quickly a year goes by. Brown Bag Thursdays have been going on for a year now and the guys want to celebrate. On June 10th The Brown Bag AllStars will be rocking with Homeboy Sandman, Sene, Cold Heat, Mazzi, O.I.S.D. Red Clay, Brokn Englsh, and special guest Torae. Come though, show support, catch a crazy show, and celebrate.

Brown Bag AllStars Anniversary Show
Thursday, June 10th, 9pm
Voodoo Lounge, 24 1st Ave, NYC
$5

Show & Prove Anniversary Video Recap

Video recap of the first annual Brooklyn Brooklyn Bodega Show & Prove Anniversary.

Enjoy the party before this year’s competition kicks off…

Mr. Beatz “Spit Therapy” Release Party

On Tuesday, April 6th Mr. Beatz will be having a release party for his new album, “Spit Therapy” at Southpaw in Brooklyn!!! Performing alongside him will be M-Tri, Homeboy Sandman and the Brown Bag Allstars, all of whom are Bodega favorites. There will be mad special guest appearances from other dope MCs that night so mark your calendars!!! This show is guaranteed to be nothing less than sick!!!

Mr. Beatz Album Release Party
Tuesday, April 6th, 9PM
Southpaw, 125 Fifth Ave, Brooklyn
$10

Letter to Show & Prove — A Retrospective

Dear Show & Prove,

Only a year old and you’ve already “put on.”

A quick peruse through the ever growing list of artists that have graced your stage is all thats needed to qualify your impact on The Underground — providing a platform for the next wave of hungry Emcees to…

well…

…show and prove.

You started as a three-part competition series awarding the right to rock the main stage of the 2009 Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival, and look at you now — a stand alone, reoccurring Hip Hop showcase hosting enough quality talent to rival any other.

Remember Children Of The Night taking home the inaugural victory last March, edging out Wordspit and Zyron Collective? Not only did Children Of The Night deliver with their solid 2nd Stage performance at last year’s BHF and drop this solid EP, but Wordspit had a big year as well — releasing the widely praised Coolest BBoi Stance and landing a McDonalds commercial with Joya Bravo and Dollar Van Demos.

Thats peace, right there.

Or remember last April, when Mr. Beatz and Cymarshall Law and the now ubiquitous Brown Bag Allstars went head to head? And that moment when the beat dropped on Beatz’s chest thumping “MC on the MPC” or when Cymarshall brought those 4 ladies on stage to assist on his ill extended metaphor “A King With 4 Wives”?

Or how BBAS bum rushed the audience exclaiming ““Step down, we step up / You let down, we next up / Who the best now?? / Brown Bag, GET UP!” and everyone knew they were taking the crown?

Thats Fam, right there.

And remember perhaps the tightest competition of them all, the May Show & Prove? Remember Sleepwalkas’s BHF flash back interlude mid set? “You should’ve been there! You should’ve been there!” Remember Brokn.Englsh’s old school dance break down at the peak of there anthemic jam “Make Some Noise”? Remember Those Chosen trekking all the way from LA to compete?

Remember 8thW1, rocking as the only solo artist on the bill, ironically kicking the grittiest rhymes of the night…and those rhymes were about the high sugar content in food??? “They claim we selling crack!!! / But you be doing that!!!” Yep, stuck in the dome for weeks.

Or back in August when The Crowd not only rocked right, but tossed in an unexpected marriage proposal?

Or Kalae All Day snatching the first all female Show & Prove title…

Or St. Joe Louis dread slanging set last December…

Or Homeboy Sandman bringing up Fresh Daily during his headlining performance…

Or that crazy cypher with Prezzure and FinaL OutlaW and Wordpit and P.SO and everyone else…

You’ve grown nicely Show & Prove, while always staying true to your mission: providing the platform for the next generation to show their skills; to prove that they are worthy.

As you venture into year your next year, as more and more hungry artists grace your stage, crafting a legacy of their own — I look forward to witnessing your inevitable maturation. I look forward to witnessing you continue to carry the torch for The Underground.

I look forward to your growth, while remaining the same.

Dope.

Happy Born Day, Show & Prove.

“These dudes up here, these are our Stevie Wonders. These are our Marvin Gayes. These are our Teddy Pendegrasses. All that shit that yall grew up with that yall parents listen to – we are creating it right now. This is history making right now.” – Wes Jackson at the May 21st Show and Prove

Videos provided by NattyNight, Ka5p, Lyriq2go, Madomoisselle, and The-Quotable Youtube Channel.

Show and Prove One Year Anniversary

SHOW AND PROVE RETURNS

Wednesday, March 31st – Public Assembly – 70 North 6th Street – Williamsburg, Brooklyn

It has been one year since Brooklyn Bodega launched its first Show & Prove Hip-Hop Showcase… and we’re still going STRONG in 2010. On March 31st, we return to Public Assembly to celebrate.

Brooklyn Bodega’s ‘Show and Prove’ gives Hip-Hop artists from around the country and world the chance to earn a spot on NYC’s largest stage, The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival.

On March 31st come join the Bodega Fam and Show and Prove Alumni, Children Of The Night, Brown Bag All Stars, Kalae All Day, brokn englsh, Aquil and more.

Artists – Come network with Festival organizers and learn how you can earn your spot on that BHF 2010 stage

Set Times:

9PM – 9:15PM – DJ
9:15pm – 9:30pm – GNU
9:30PM – 9:40PM – Aquil
9:40pm – 9:50PM – Sleepwalkas
9:50pm – 10:00pm Zarinah
10:00pm – 10:20pm – Brown Bag All Stars
10:20pm – 10:30pm – Gypsy Flesh
10:30pm – 10:40pm – Prophit
10:40pm – 11:00pm – COTN
11:00PM – 11:10PM – Mr Beatz
11:10 PM – 11:20PM – Brokn Englsh
11:20pm – 11:40pm – KALAE ALL DAY (with live band)
11:40PM – MIDNIGHT – CIPHER

Warren G in Williamsburg

Can Warren G regulate in hipster heaven? Only time will tell. Warren will be rolling into town in support of his new album with some pretty strong support acts offering some diversity to the bill. Interestinly enough, the tour willl play Brooklyn on Friday night and then be back in town on Tuesday for a show at the Bowery Ballroom. We all know shows are more fun in Brooklyn though.

Warren G, Kidz in the Hall, U.N.I, Brown Bag Allstars
Friday, November 6th, 9PM
Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 N 6th Street, Williamsburg
$20

(Hopefully this won’t happen to the show……)

Official First Video from Brown Bag Allstars!

We at the Bodega fam have definitely seen BBAS come up, and quickly too. Now it’s good to see them getting love across the internet and in the streets. The video is dope too, for their first single, “Undeniable” off the Brown Tape. Check it out.

Review of Tanya Morgan/Torae & Marco Polo Show at Southpaw

Last Wednesday night, Southpaw, Park Slope’s most eminent underground venue, hosted a plethora of up-and-comers—Che Grand, Brown Bag All Stars, Torae and Marco Polo, and Tanya Morgan. It was a lineup that seemed to satisfy most demographics, from the blog fiends to the Bodega fam. The atmosphere in the spot was one of humility and appreciation—everyone seemed happy just to rock, enthusiastic and grateful for the exposure, despite the small crowd consisting mostly of a few dedicated heads.

Che Grand, a NMC endorsed mixtape-rapper and Tanya Morgan affiliate, opened the show with a banger. His highly conventional “swagger” and style, strictly and unimaginatively in line with every current trend, elicited a few raised eyebrows as he took the stage. Although I was skeptical at the outset, I was soon won over by Grand’s capable lyricism and proficient flow—I caught a reference to Masta Ace’s “Sittin on Chrome,” which sealed it. But after nodding my head to the first few tracks, I became conscious not only of the similarity of each song, but of their declining quality as well. The absence of any memorable, unique hooks didn’t help. After his swag ran out of steam, it became clear that Grand didn’t have much past that to hold interest. Although his MC skills were completely competent, the generic sense of banality was kind of overwhelming.

The next openers, The Bodega-approved Brown Bag All Stars, were a nice contrast to Che. Despite their questionable rap monikers, I could tell that they would rip it. Fresh off their opening spot at the BHF ‘09, they were hype and on the come-up. Their stellar 90s-style production banged, complete dusty drums, jazz-infused bass lines, and a profusion of soulful samples. Their vicious flow and deft lyricism was rapid fire—their lyrics were not always completely audible but their energy was tangible. They had that large-crew steelo which is so noticeably absent in today’s rap culture, the type that reminds you of an impromptu freestyle cypher on a Brooklyn street corner. Although this dynamic occasionally verged on chaotic and uncontrolled, their energy and authenticity was refreshing in our swag-saturated era.

Next came Torae and Marco Polo, the indie dream team taking the stage to promote their critically acclaimed new album “Double Barrel.” Their comically disparate appearances struck an unlikely contrast, but Marco’s hard-hitting boom-bap suits Torae’s thunderous delivery and powerfully articulated flow perfectly. The Brooklyn bulldog definitely held it down, despite rocking the stage completely for dolo. Although he could have worked more on commanding the stage through bodily movement rather than simply physical size and presence alone, his authoritative charisma definitely took focus. The highlight of the set came as the legendary Craig G took the stage to trade freestyle bars with Torae. Surprisingly, Torae held his own with hip-hop royalty, grateful to be onstage with a legend, but not too humble as to give up the stage completely. Finally, Marco murdered the MPCs on that freestyle tip, dazzling the crowd with a stunning display of musical improvisation. Despite the shortcomings of both the crowd and the performers, the set was definitely enjoyable.

Finally we come to Tanya Morgan, the indie darlings on their quest for mainstream recognition at their first major headline show in New York. But let me be real…A Tanya Morgan show is kind of like having to spend the day with your pops: never particularly enticing, maybe not your first choice, but by the end of the day you end up appreciating the person you’re chilling (or rocking) with. Yeah, maybe it lacks some of the excitement of a wild house party with your friends. Maybe some of his jokes (or songs) start to sound alike, replete with somewhat obvious puns that cause you to chuckle out of politeness as he laughs gleefully. But then you realize, as you see the oversized grin on his face, that you can’t help but have fun too. That is truly Tanya Morgan’s saving grace. Despite the shortcomings of their live show, you can always tell that they enjoy rocking it.

But after seeing them for the fourth time, performing the same set with very little spontaneity or stage etiquette, I realized something. These dudes are talented—lyrically they bring it hard and have a lot of respect for the classics. Their ethereal, synth-infused boom-bap is laden with soul and jazz samples, hard drums, and 90 bpm bangers. But whenever I see them perform, I have the same nagging feeling that something is missing. I could blame it on the similarity of most of their songs, their lack of compelling hooks, their inability to properly hype their album, or their need for a clear leader and frontman. But I think their problem is bigger than that. They have a fundamental inability to cross over, in several ways. They struggle with that jump from virtual reality to physical reality, from the studio to the stage, from openers to headliners. Until they figure out this dilemma, a dilemma that combines marketing, image, and ability, they run the risk of being stuck in this state of limbo. The Internet can trick you into thinking you are a lot bigger than you actually are. But when you come home to Brooklyn, fresh off of a new album, and all you get is a half-filled room with some half-hearted fans, the reality sets in.

Brokn Englsh and Brown Bag win Show and Prove

Brooklyn Bodega announced today the winners of the May ‘Show and Prove’ and the winners of the overall competition.

We would like to congratulate May winners Brokn Englsh and our overall champs, The Brown Bag All Stars.

Brown Bag and Brokn Englsh join Children Of The Night as the winners of our inaugural Show and Prove competition.

“Show and Prove was a fantastic success. Better than we imagined. The difficult part for us was picking the winner(s). 8thW1, Sleepwalkas, and THOSE CHOSEN were all impressive. We look forward to working with them as well as all of our other Show and Prove semifinalists in the future,” Wes Jackson, Festival Executive Director. “Brokn Englsh, COTN, and Brown Bag truly represent the goal of Show and Prove and the Festival in general. Hard working artists, refining their craft, and building their brand.”

As overall winners, Brown Bag All Stars will open the show and perform on the Main Stage along with Pharoahe Monch, DJ Premier, Styles P, Smif N Wessun and more. Brokn English and Children Of The Night will play the second stage side by side Donny Goines, Eagle Nebula and Nyle.

Live at the April Show and Prove – Video

Live at the April Show and Prove from Brooklyn Bodega on Vimeo.

Funky fresh interviews with Children Of The Night, Mr Beatz, Cymarshall Law, Homeboy Sandman, and Brown Bag All Stars

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