New York, NY (Tuesday March 9, 2010) – Whether remixing Lauryn Hill, Q-Tip, K’NAAN or Nneka, J.Period Mixtapes have been hailed for their “cinematic” quality, weaving remixes, interviews, and sound bytes into mixtapes that play like movies. Now, J.Period joins forces with another visual storyteller, hip hop’s undisputed video king, “Uncle” Ralph McDaniels (Video Music Box, The Bridge), to push these boundaries even further with the March 9: Video Remix Collection.
Since March 9, 2007 (the 10th Anniversary of B.I.G.’s passing), J.Period has paid tribute to Brooklyn’s Finest each year with a new installment of the March 9 Project, co-produced by DJ G Brown. Named 2008’s “Top Street Albums” by MTV, March 9 re-imagines classic B.I.G. verses over different musical landscapes, wondering: what would hip hop be like if B.I.G. were still alive? Now, pairing exclusive March 9 remixes with B.I.G. music videos, J.Period & Ralph McDaniels offer a glimpse of what that might look like—a thrilling optical illusion: B.I.G., alive on celluloid, performing new versions of classic tracks in a way you’ve never seen or heard before.
On March 9, 2010, J.Period and “Uncle” Ralph were pleased to present the first installment of the March 9: Video Remix Collection: “Flava in Ya Ear (March 9 Video Remix),” a club-shattering blend of old and new that will have you pressing the rewind button… repeatedly. Then tonight, join J.Period & Ralph McDaniels as they premiere additional videos from the March 9: Video Remix Collection at Diddy & Mr. Cee’s B.I.G. Tribute at The Lab in Brooklyn, NY!! And later this month, tune in as BET’s “The Deal” premieres March 9: Video Remixes as part of its own B.I.G. tribute. Want the latest? All March 9: Video Remixes and original remixes will be available throughout the month at: www.jperiod.com/march9
“I’m thrilled to be working with a legend like “Uncle” Ralph, who is still so passionate and creative after 25 years in the game,” says J.Period. “Ralph’s vast knowledge of hip hop makes him the perfect collaborator for what I do. Teaming up to pay tribute to B.I.G. felt like the perfect way to spark that collaboration.”
Ralph echoes this sentiment: “It’s been a pleasure working with J.Period. What he creates is more than just a CD, or mixtape. He’s like a documentarian. The collabo on this March 9 project is gonna be crazy...”
J.Period released the March 9: Video Remix Collection on the heels of a featured role in Activision’s blockbuster DJ Hero (2009’s #1 ranked video game), and a stirring collaboration with Nigerian rising star, Nneka, called The Madness. Released in December to rave reviews (Beyond Race Magazine’s “Top Albums of 2009”), The Madness has already earned over 80.000 plays/downloads. Indeed, 2009 marked a banner year for J.Period downloads, with his 5 mixtape tributes (Q-Tip, Kweli, K’NAAN, Nneka, MJ) earning over 800K downloads throughout the year.
To anyone that knows hip hop, Ralph McDaniels needs no introduction. For over 25 years, no name has been more synonymous with hip hop videos than “Uncle” Ralph, legenadary VJ and creator of Video Music Box. Since 1984, “Uncle” Ralph has directed over 200 music videos for hip hop icons including Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Ice-T, and Blackmoon, worked on countless hip hop films (associate producer for Juice), and truly earned his moniker: “The King of All Videos.” In recent years, Ralph has also seized on technology to create groundbreaking audio/visual DJ sets that draw from his vast video archive, performing at clubs and arenas around the world. This video-mixing technology was key in the creation of the March 9: Video Remix Collection.
The March 9: Video Remix Collection launched yesterday, March 9, 2010 at www.jperiod.com/march9 and will features a new video each week this month, culminating in the release of a full-length video mixtape, the March 9: Video Remix Collection, scheduled for release in April. And with the blueprint laid out, look out for more upcoming collaborations between J.Period & Ralph McDaniels in the future!
###
For All Press Inquiries, Please Contact::
Tasha Stoute
Strong Arm Media
press@jperiod.comtasha@strongarmmedia.com
516-650-7725j
Don't miss this historic as we salute and celebrate one of the most important people in the history of Hip-Hop - BHF host, Bodega mentor and inspiration Uncle Ralph McDaniels.
Initiative Radio with Angela McKenzie Salutes Black History Maker Ralph McDaniels
Hosted by our own Wes Jackson
Friday February 19th
9pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery
NYC
With: Homeboy Sandman, Children Of The Night, Prophit, Eric Sosa and more
For more info email amck83@hotmail.com
Or visit the Angela's site
Still need some something to whet your appetite and make you go to the event? Then check this out: Angela McKenzie re-airs portions of her exclusive interview with Ralph MaDaniels along with commentary from a new generation of Hip-Hop artists and entrepreneurs; an interview with Kool DJ Red Alert, the man who bestowed the moniker Uncle Ralph upon McDaniels early in his career and shout-outs from other music industry insiders, including Wes Jackson. Take a listen and get on out to BPC on Friday.
In
In his best selling book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell argues that world changing success has just as much to do with circumstance and opportunity as it does with hard work and determination.
The story of Uncle Ralph reads like something straight out of Outliers.
Ralph McDaniels was born to Caribbean parents in the Bed Stuy section of Brooklyn. His uncle introduced him to the Motown sound at an early age. His mother’s first cousin, Geoffrey Holder, was a successful Broadway and film actor (most notably for this writer, as Punjab in the movie adaptation of Annie). His family was always supportive. Music was always in the air.
In the mid-seventies, during Hip Hop’s infancy, Uncle Ralph began DJing.
“I’m in Queens by this time, so you know, the whole DJ thing is becoming really popular. We’re out in the park doing our thing. Break beats are starting to evolve. The commercialization of Hip Hop is starting to happen.”
After completing high school, while still DJing, he attended Laguardia Community College in Queens. There, during an internship at Manhattan Cable Television (the founders and operators of the America’s first urban underground cable system), his interest in film and television was officially ignited.
“Nobody around me had ever seen cable before. I hadn’t seen it before that time because nobody had cable here -- in New York -- and I don’t think anywhere else. I think that must’ve been around 1980, so this was the beginning of the whole cable television explosion. And that was what sparked my interest because I always wanted to combine the visuals with the audio. I was into the audio already from DJing and being around certain artists...but now I had an opportunity to get involved with the video side of it.”
From that rarified experience -- interning at the United State’s first cable company right on the cusp of cable TV’s communications takeover -- Ralph not only honed in on the ultimate path that would define his legacy, but began learning the tools to bring his vision (combining the audio with visuals of New York’s musical revolution) into fruition.
After receiving his bachelors degree from the New York City College of Technology (New York Tech), Uncle Ralph started his career working for WNYC-TV, channel 31, as a cable technician. Hip Hop was still in its nascent stages -- inching towards commercialization -- as the music video movement took hold of the national consciousness.
Artists like U2, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, and Madonna not only etched themselves forever into music history through their planet shaking sound, but also through their iconic music videos. Some artists were only popular because of their music videos, and rarely received radio play at all.
“There were groups that were popular that just made popular videos. They didn’t necessarily get played on the radio or anything like that. So there was a whole music video movement going on as well as the music side of it. There were groups that were popular only because of their video. Thats why Michael Jackson put so much into the videos, because that was a big thing at that time. It was like a mini movie. You could make a very big impact on people through music videos. So, I’m in that founding group of music video pioneers.”
The video medium was on the verge of international fulmination. Hip Hop culture officially seized control of New York City’s urban underbelly. Cable TV, home to the first 24 hour music television station, MTV, was still a niche market with little reach.
Who else but a Brooklyn born DJ with professional knowledge of cable technics and production and a desire to unite the audio and visuals of this world rattling musical renaissance would possess the opportunity and experience necessary to launch the most groundbreaking television show in Hip Hop history: Video Music Box.
“I was passionate about the music and the artists and about the scene, so I knew that it was something that people wanted to see. And at this point, the idea of my show is becoming a reality, so I just wanted to have stuff to put on the show. [At this time] theres no videos for any Hip Hop songs, but why don’t we just shoot them live and get them performing? Like Soul Train, but ghetto style.”
CLICK HERE FOR PART 2
In
