Happy Birthday Large Professor & DJ Premier!

Celebrating the shared birthday of legendary hip hop producers Large Professor and DJ Premier with interviews and more.

That time Ice-T had a Toronto photo shoot with Rick McGinnis in 1989

Future Law & Order star Ice-T photographed during the hip hop phase of his career by Rick McGinnis at some suburban Toronto hotel in June, 1989.

This stellar portrait shot of Ice-T from 1989 recently shared by my former NOW Magazine colleague Rick McGinnis will no doubt bring back nostalgic thoughts of what some consider the 'golden era" of hip hop. Yet, for many others unfamiliar with Body Count – who only know Ice-T as an actor on a long-running television crime drama – it'll likely be a puzzling glimpse of his past they never knew existed. 

A few years ago, I was shocked to hear some vintage hip hop coming out of a moving company truck being driven by some 20something dude. When I complimented him on his choice of tunes, he said he was "really getting into the old school rap stuff, you know, like Public Enemy" and asked if there was anything else on cassette from "way back in the 80s" he should check out. "Well," I said, "you probably already have everything you need by Ice-T, right?" His response was "Wait... what? You mean the guy from Law & Order made rap records? Really? No way! That's hilarious! I gotta hear some of that!" There's probably a whole generation have grown up completely unaware that Ice-T, Ice Cube, Queen Latifah and LL Cool J once had credible hip hop recording careers. 

For more stellar photographs of cinema and music stars shot by Toronto-based photographer Rick McGinnis, visit his excellent blog site right here. Check out a digital transfer of The Iceberg Video VHS from 1989. Pre-order a copy of Ice-T's new Body Count album "Merciless" due November 22 below. 

You can pre-order the new "Merciless" album from Ice-T's Body Count from the band's own merch page right here. 

Nardwuar celebrates 51 years of hip hop with DJ Kool Herc

Watch Nardwuar's chat with DJ Kool Herc who started it all with a party at sister Cindy's place in the Bronx on August 11, 1973.

Goodbye to NYC's historic East River Park Amphitheater!

Along with Sonny Rollins gigs in 1962, East River Park Amphitheatre was the site of the climactic hip hop concert in Wild Style.

LINKS

Gothamist City Demolition of East River Park Amphitheater Underway

MC Abdominal loves chicken wings

LINKS 
MC Abdominal site
Anchor Bar page

Ric's Boxing Week Blowout continues

RIC'S BOXING WEEK 

BLOWOUT 

50% OFF  
Vinyl, CDs, DVDs, Cassettes, etc.

Check out the insanely deep selection of rare records 
including: roots reggae, gospel boogie, outlaw country, classic rock, bluegrass, Eastern European progressive, old-school soul, hair metal, disco, R&B, surf, new wave, electronic, sunshine psych, spiritual jazz, calypso, goth,  spoken word, loner folk, comedy, hip hop, bossa nova, Maritimes fiddling, cumbia, classical guitar, Bollywood soundtracks, male/female vocals, salsa, big band, honky tonk, exotica, calypso, Spanish guitar, Jesus psych, banjo, pop, Canuck country, minimal synth and just about anything else you're after!   

   

1006 Queen East (near Pape)

Dec. 28 thru Dec. 30

9 am - 6 pm