Dirty hits the road again!

Arghhhh ka pai!

The Haps!

Man im chillin' for 5 right now. I just wrapped up the LoMoney mixtape. These dudes are from South Auckland.They been on the grind for a while now & im happy as with the sound of their tape. The Ghetto Blast has been finished for a while but the bullshit behind the scenes as far as getting it out goes is ratshit. None the less when the God shit drops yall gonna be some happy mofos. Straight 80mins of Aotearoa HipHop. I have to apologise for saying in my back2basics interview that it is out now. Spoke ahead of time n got slapped back lol. But you know how i do so dont worry about what the fuck i be doin'!
I gotta whole bunch of mail to send today. I dunno who's been spreading the word but cats are hollarin' for beats left right & centre. I have to apologise in advance if i aint get to you straight away. I only have two hands n shits real busy. None the less im greatfull.
I'm heading to auckland tonight. The Urban Playground tour starts 2mrow. I'm lookin' forward to catching up with the bro Neezy. One cool dude to tour with. The line up is a mean selection of talent, check the flier beneath. We're in Whagarei tommorow & Auckland on friday. The gigs are all ages. So thats cool. The kids get to enjoy aswell.
I've been fortunate enough to go on a few tours. My 1st when i was with the Dubious Click in 2002. It was called the 'Power Play Tour'. We traveled & played with Katchafire, D2S, DJ Sirvere & Savage & MZRE. That was a cool eye opener. Since then i've been able to tour with Tyna & JB, Nesian Mystik, Chong Nee, Adeaze ect... Tour is definately work but shit is mad fun too!
I gots me a monthly spot playing in Whangarei, Welli & Christchurch every last weekend of the month so im a update yall on that towards the end of this tour. Should be exciting.
I'll stop there my 5 is up...& i dont wanna say 2much. But yo!... A heap of new Aotearoa Hip Hop shit has dropped over the last month. Flowz 'In the heart of the city', Mareko 'White Sunday 2', & Ethical 'Ages Turn' so get you some people!
A quick shout out to everyone for their patience, love, support & hate.

Ludd you mayne
S.M

URBAN PLAYGROUND TOUR 2008

Come check us out if you are in any of the above mentioned areas. Should be mean!

Exclusive ETHICAL Interview

The bro ETH will be a happy man right about now with the eve of his Album release upon us. I've been watching & keepin' my ear to the street on this brother for a minute & he's one of the toppest blokes i know. & a madd microphone technician. I caught up with Homeboy & had a few Qs answered from the man himself!


SMV- What's good fam!

ETH- What's good homie!

SMV- .Tell me what hood u reppin' & from what city or town?

ETH- haha Aotearoa bro, i grew up all over the country cuz!
but id have to say new plymouth because i spent my teenage years there and my fams is there!

SMV- You're album is about to pop off cuz! but before we get into that, do you remember the reason why you got into this hiphop shit?

ETH- Honestly,I just got into it because i liked the music, i didnt know i'd end up being a rapper, i used to love Wu-tang and Eazy-E and all that sort of thing.
Being from a small place it was harder to get the classic hip hop stuff around town so whatever RTR was playing that was me,until i discovered wu.
Rza beats made me love hip hop and want to rap.

SMV- I cant remember how & where we met. Do you? I remember back in the day i thought you were Fact for some reason lol

ETH- hahaha Your not the first person to think i was fact hahaha..salgood!
ummm yeah i met you at fu, you were tore up!!! haha you were dj'ing for Tyna.

now we fams b!

SMV- I remember the 1s time i really took notice of your steelo was on magnums 'stalkland CD' back in 03 i think? i remember buzzing out at your flow & delivery.
I think that's the CD that made me track you down so we could hit the mixtape grind...How would you explain your style?

ETH- Thanks homie for the flow and delivery comment. Yeah, i think it was in 03 (holy!) hahah. My style is mad unique to this country i think,like its not one thing or the other (commercial/underground) its just me,i take influences from all styles of hip hop. i have always been a massive fan for the guy you had to listen to a few times before you got what he was talking about ya know?

Shot for actually hunting me down to bro,i respect your mixtape hustle and am happy to be on your projects!


SMV- How did you hook up with BreakinWreck? & what was the point in time where Kirk Harding heard your work?

The BWW deal came about around 03, I was still living in New Plymouth pretty much just starting out in the rap thing. I was in a crew called Dirtbag District with Louie knuxx,Fact,Hegz and my dude Neesh,as i understand Louie had a connection with Cyphanetik through the inter-net and Netik asked if we'd like to move Auckland and get on the label,i remember being nervous as because i had been a fan of Netiks and i was a young rapper who didn't know shit about shit hahah, but am glad i moved up and learnt as much as i did from the BWW camp.

Kirk, heard of my stuff in 05, after BWW released "The music is pregnant....fuck" mixtape, Te Ata from Shadow Squad actually gave the c.d to Kirk to check out and the rest was history man, Im happy Kirk went about approaching me through Netik and we got to sort a collaborative deal with both Move the Crowd and BWW.


SMV- Your've toured hard out over the past year or 2. I know the Jay-Z tour in oz pop'd off for yous but what i wanna know is what was it like touring asia with The Grand master Roc Raida? Funny moments?


ETH- Yeah bro the tours have been a real awesome experience aye,The Roc Raida tour was through east china and taiwan and went for 6weeks, was crazy shows witch helped me develop onstage,The dude is amazing as a person and a turntablist,the way he party rocks is crazy and cool, the most humble dude and he's funny as hell ahaha. We both had an apartment in Shanghai for the duration of the trip,so became good friends,the trip in general was funny always laughing aye, the biggest memory for me was Raida throwing me a birthday party in taiwan and really putting in on for me, made sure the promoters and the club really took care of me was mean!
Raida was a real down to earth cat and as regular as you and i bro,I remember the night he was doing the drops for you,he was going hard trying to get it right for you bro,thats sums him up right there i reckon,a dude who was willing to help like how he did.


SMV- Now you recorded your album in NYC. F*&$ bro theres a million Qs i could ask you about that but we'ill save it for XXL lol. So instead tell me about the
process of how you met producers, recieved beats & wrote & recorded over them?

ETH- Hahhaha yeah XXL are on their way over to see me now haha shuuuahhh!! Well the process of the album was pretty similar to everyone elses aye,i started making demos in NZ and by the time i got to N.Y we scrapped them all bar 2 songs.I got to N.Y and rested up for a day or 2 and then we got to collecting beats from Emile,Cochise,Shuko,Reality and F.B.I. after talks and concepting with Kirk and Cochise we got down to the business of selecting the beats that most suited me and what i wanted to say.Once we got that sorted the task became sleepless bro,like i,d be recording one song and pretty much writing the next at the same time,New York cats Grind for real man.
Was mean to be working with the producers over there,was a real MTC family thing going on,The Producers and I went out to dinner,kick it and became close in the process of this album,was cool to have producers who like to have as much input as yourself on the track and produce in the true sense of the word.
Shouts to Everyone who was involved during my time there.

SMV- When's the album out cuz? & why should mofos buy it?

ETH- The album is out and instores - Monday the 26th of May!!!!!!
Thats Monday the 26th of May!!!!! hahahah

I think people should deffinetly cop my album because it is defffinetly worth copping,im not one to force it on you and things but i believe this album is dope!
The production is huge, like car heads and head nodders are gonna feel it through big systems and rap fans will love the lyricism through their laptops and i.pods
The features are CRAZY!!!!!

Emile
Cochise
Grandmaster Roc Raida
Young Sid
Cyphanetik
Sway
Des Davis
Bradd Marquis
Neesh
Juse
Daniel Merriwether
M1 of Dead Prez
The Architects
Shuko

SMV- Favourite hood drink? F*&$ the henny...

ETH- Woodstock son!!!!



SMV- Favourite hood take out? F*&$ maccas...

ETH- The Roast joint by my house or that little red caravan in Taupo with the take out boil up and fry bread ahhahah meanist!!


SMV- Favourite barber?

ETH- I like them cats at Grey lynn Barbers
but there was this joint in Brooklyn by Kirks house that was dope!


SMV- Top 3 MCs?

ETH- To many to name but in no particular order but ill go with these three for now ahaha

* Ghostface killah
* Jay z
* Pusha T from the Clipse


SMV- Top 5 Hip Hop albums?

ETH- Again one of the toughest questions in hip hop and there are to many to name but:

* Dr Dre - Chronic 2001
* Clipse - Hell hath no fury
* Jay z - Black Album
* 2pac - All eyes on me
* Outcast - Aquemini

but i have way more, thats hard as to answer,

ETH- Could i ask you a question? What are 5 Albums you can listen to front to back without skipping a single joint on it?

SMV- Damn...1st pick is Jay-Z 'The Blue Print' then...

Snoop Dogg - Doggy Style
Wu Tang Clan - 36 Chambers
Nas - Illmatic
Raekwon - Only Built for cuban linx

yup...

SMV- Shout outs?

ETH- Firstly to you bro for taking time out to do this!

I just want to shout out to my family and everybody involved in the making of me as a person and the album!

respect to everyone that has ever been into my music or are about to be into it!

thanks to Move the Crowd,Breakin Wreck and universal records for their hard work and time!

To my loyal friends who have helped out hardist with everything,and to anyone who reads this thanks for your time!

"rise of the rare"
KIDZ IN SPACE!!!

Respect!

Eth!

AGE'S TURN!


ETHICAL MYSPACE
ETHICAL BEBO
MTC BLOGSPOT

Mixmaster Mike In Auckland

The Gods in the building! seen this on the Back2Basics website

On Friday May 30 (next Friday!) catch the infamous and pioneering Mixmaster Mike, DJ to the Beastie Boys and founding member of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, arguably the greatest DJ collective the world has ever seen.



On the night Mike will see support from DJ Sir-Vere, DJ Manchoo plus Truent & D Form.



From 10 ‘til late at Fu Bar, Auckland. Tickets available from Real Groovy, Beat Merchants and DMC High St.

Congrats DJ IMPACT

Congrats to the bruda mike aka DJ IMPACT from Htown who won the Christ City Scratch champs last weekend. Das w'sup hamo!

Placings were

1st Impact
2nd Tricq
3rd Turksta

But arghh i heard there were only 4 entrants? Damn i guess battlin' aint IN anymore sheesh!

Patience is mah'f*%$a!!!

Thanks for your patience. Check back real soon! btw theres a peak JUST A PEAK! I get the real up soon!

NEW AL GREEN ALBUM!

Recently i was chillin' with TS crew members Juse1, Kerb & Spex & i was excited to tell them about Al Greens new project with ?uest love. They were like 'oh shit aint he dead yo"? haha. Far from it brah! I just had a listen *cough* ill buy the barstid dont you worry!
Check what EMIgroup had to say...

The project features the sophisticated R&B voices of singer-songwriters John Legend, Anthony Hamilton and Corinne Bailey Rae, and it was co-produced with Green by two of hip-hop’s most innovative players, drummer Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson from the Roots and keyboardist James Poyser, the go-to guy for high-profile artists ranging from Erykah Badu to Common. Add in Brooklyn’s celebrated Dap-King Horns (Sharon Jones, Amy Winehouse), guitarist Chalmers “Spanky” Alford (Mighty Clouds of Joy, Joss Stone) and bassist Adam Blackstone (Jill Scott, DJ Jazzy Jeff), among others, and you’ve got a modern soul-music dream team, fronted by the most expressive voice in the business.

“The reason why we are doing this is because we all idolize Al Green,” declares
?uestlove. “Even today, nobody has range like him.”

P-Money gives away Instrumentals

The bros on some monotoring net behaviour type shit over here Check his beats out they fo free fool! you wish! lol

ETH on LNH

seen this over at MTCs blog! Ma man!

Suge gettin' old! Sav just gettin' started!

Yeah this last weeks news bite me!

Suge got knocked the fugg outt! & Sav signed a world wide deal with Universal republic hella yeah! full press release here

FLOWZ feat Joe Dukie - Got my eye on you!

The bros album is out in stores now. Cop thatttt!