Mos Def News

Gang Starr is undoubtedly one of the most revered, beloved and influential groups in Hip Hop. Over the course of their distinguished career, they became a cultural institution and a brand you could ultimately trust. The group's “Chain and the Star” logo symbolized power and excellence and it permeated into the cutting-edge music they created. With a handful of indelible classic albums on their resume, DJ Premier and Guru's catalog has not only persevered but mastered the test of time. Simply, Gang Starr did not follow trends, they created them.

“Bringing New York back” is a phrase to describe rappers restoring the grittiness of the '90s, steeped in lyricism and storytelling without compromising their sound for a mainstream hit. For Radamiz, a skilled battle rapper and artist from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, he's taken those core elements of hip-hop and modernized them, possessing a fresh, throwback flow. A hip-hop kid who grew up studying the lyrics of Jadakiss and Notorious B.I.G., as well as listened to Jay-Z, Eminem, D12, and G-Unit as he got older, Radamiz is the quintessential East Coast rapper.

When 2014 came and went and The Plagiarist's Season Pass hadn't been 'dead-headed' enough to actually see every possible ending of their choose-your-own-adventure play it was sad. The cardboard and duct taped futuristic worlds, the Star Trek/Galaxy Quest-esque space suits that were just sexy enough to excite, but not scandalous enough to make one feel bad for the actors, and then there was the random malort-flavored snow-cones that for some reason were offered in between rides…2014 was a good year, if incomplete for only seeing a handful of Season Pass choices.

In honor of its 20th anniversary, The Roots' breakthrough fourth album Things Fall Apart is available once again via Geffen/Urban Legends. This melancholy gem of 2000s alternative hip-hop, originally released on MCA Records in 1999, has been freshly remastered and repressed in two lavish physical configurations, a standard black 3LP, a limited-edition crystal-clear 3LP as well as a digital collection, all to be released September 27.

Multi-GRAMMY Award-winning composer/pianist/educator Arturo O'Farrill and the non-profit The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance (ALJA) announce the kick-off to their 18th Anniversary live performance season with an unprecedented program of progressive artists banding together for change: SONGS OF LOVE & RESISTANCE.

Born in the San Francisco Mission District, for the past two decades BAYONICS has mixed Reggae and Latin music to create a style as unique as the city they call home. Freely melding genres, they carry on the tradition of legendary Bay Area groups such as Santana and Sly & The Family Stone, groups that sought to transcend genre with music that moves people both literally and figuratively. 

Over nearly two decades together, Brooklyn's Dub Trio — Stu Brooks [bass],  DP Holmes [guitar], and Joe Tomino [drums]—not only delivered a string of albums that forever redefined the term “dub” under cover of metal, punk, alternative, and shoegaze, but also infused its musical prowess into the studio recordings and the shows of genre-bending icons ranging from Mike Patton to Lady Gaga. Today, Dub Trioannounces the April 26 release of The Shape of Dub To Come, the band's fifth full-length and first release for New Damage Records.

Sundance Institute will convene dozens of offscreen events, including inclusive and intersectional conversations on the next wave of storytelling, radical data transparency, the future of democracy at its intersection with the arts, behind-the-scenes panels on the art of filmmaking and musical performances that range from intimate to raucous at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival taking place in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance, Utah, January 24 through February 3, 2019.

BRIC, the pioneering NYC arts and media organization celebrating 40 years as the leading presenter of free cultural programming in Brooklyn, presents legendary MC Talib Kweli as he celebrates hometown love on Valentine's Day with a live show in Fort Greene.The performance kicks off the 2019 season of BRIC House Sessions, a must-do Thursday concert series featuring world-class artists that reflect the diversity of Brooklyn and bring the ethos of the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival into the organization's Downtown Brooklyn headquarters. Brazilian MC NIKO IS opens the show with a set featuring tracks from his recent album, UNIKO. City Point, an innovative entertainment and retail destination, and a supporter of culture in Downtown Brooklyn, joins BRIC House Sessions 2019 as Lead Sponsor. 

Celebrating its 10th edition this year, Boston Calling unveils a lineup of epic proportions - from music to comedy to dance. The internationally acclaimed and locally grown music festival takes place Memorial Day weekend, May 24 - 26, 2019 at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston, MA (65 North Harvard Street, Boston). Headlined by Twenty One Pilots, Travis Scott, and Tame Impala, Boston Calling 2019 will present more than 55 performances from musicians, bands, and comedians across its four stages. This year, the festival's indoor arena will also showcase an all-star lineup of comedy, headlined by Michael Che, Jenny Slate, and Fred Armisen. Overall, the lineup boasts seven 2019 Grammy nominees including Anderson .Paak, Janelle Monae, and Brandi Carlile, who is nominated for six awards. In a unique collaboration, the festival will also bring Boston Ballet, one of the world's most renowned dance companies, to the festival.

The following are acts performing at City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, in January. Please consider including in your upcoming calendar and cultural listings. All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Tickets can be purchased by calling 312-733-WINE (9463) or by visiting www.citywinery.com/chicago.

The Public Theater announced initial casting today for the world premiere of WHITE NOISE, written by Public Theater Master Writer Chair and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. 

Yesterday, December 3, Suzan-Lori Parks was honored with 2018 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award.

BRIC, the pioneering NYC arts and media organization and leading presenter of free cultural programming in Brooklyn, announces the spring 2019 season of BRIC House Sessions (February-April 2019), part of BRIC's 40th Anniversary. The exhilarating concert series, held annually, brings the ethos of the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival into the organization's Fort Greene headquarters through world-class performances on Thursday evenings. BRIC House Sessions draws its talent from a bold and eclectic array of musical genres and world cultures, with concerts featuring opening acts by DJs and musicians, and headlining sets from internationally-renowned artists. 

Monterey Jazz Festival is proud to announce that drummer and composer Allison Miller and bassist, composer and producer Derrick Hodge have been selected as the 2019 Monterey Jazz Festival Artists-in-Residence and will work year-round with young musicians in performances and clinics at the 2019 Next Generation Jazz Festival, Summer Jazz Camp Intensive, with the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra and at the 62nd Monterey Jazz Festival, September 20-22, 2019.

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Kandace Springs, Chicago-based indie rock band The Empty Pockets, and more. The following shows go on sale to the public onThursday, October 11 at noon. All tickets will be available at citywinery.com/chicago.

The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust today announced that Pulitzer Prize winner, Suzan-Lori Parks will be presented with the 2018 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award at the 11th Annual 'Mimi' Awards on Monday, December 3, 2018 at Lincoln Center Theatre. The 'Mimi' Awards are presented annually to honor the outstanding artistry and accomplishments of some of the most gifted American playwrights.

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) announces a Reunify - A Benefit Concert for Displaced Children today, September 15, 2018 at 6pm. Tickets are $15 - $25 and are available at https://reunify.eventbrite.com.

On October 26, 2018, Georgia Anne Muldrow will release her new album - a modern soul classic in the making titled Overload - via Flying Lotus's Brainfeeder record label.

Today 8th September sees jazz, hip-hop and r&b marry rap, poetry and grime, promising food for thought at O2 Academy Brixton.