(le) poisson rouge

Slick Rick is like a hip-hop holy trinity displaying three Ricky’s in one body: lyricist, producer, and actor. Whereas many rappers speak in the same tone of voice (or become part of a vocal team that explores their diversity i.e., Digital Underground), Ricky is an aural dramatist – like in the days of early radio shows – who invades the soul of his characters, speaking in their voices, with a vocal repertoire that includes little children, jealous boyfriends, grandmothers, police officers and detectives to name a few.
 
In short, there’s nothing like the Slick Rick Experience. Every album is a parallel universe where old-time radio and urban culture collide. Aural theater merges with ghetto fantasy. Rick becomes a character actor with voice-throwing chops a ventriloquist would envy and narrative powers greater than Stephen King. In theory, it all seems preposterous – impossible to pull off. But because Rick has such a genuine gift on the mic – dexterity, cleverness, wit, articulation, fluidity – it works like gangbusters.
 
Going forward, there is much to celebrate. On May 23, 2008, 18 years after pleading guilty in a New York State Court, New York governor David Paterson granted Slick Rick a full pardon. In essence, the esteemed governor closed a dark chapter in the Book of Slick Rick. Now hope springs eternal. A direct quote from Governor Paterson’s official statement:
 
“Mr. Walters has fully served the sentence imposed upon him for his convictions, had an exemplary disciplinary record while in prison and on parole, and has been living without incident in the community for more than 10 years. In that time, he has volunteered at youth outreach programs to counsel youth against violence, and has become a symbol of rehabilitation for many young people.”
 
It’s high time this founding father of hip-hop — this mastermind of modulation, meter and tone — receive the accolades he so richly deserves. Always impeccably attired, there are no other rappers who can touch his style. He carries commercial and cultural clout as well. His influence cannot be overstated. More than any other rapper, he’s been sampled, quoted, loved, and emulated by each generation that has followed him.
 
Hip-hop is about life and truth, and Slick Rick is successful because he is truly a great storyteller in the timeless tradition…
 
http://www.ricktheruler.net/

Herbert Holler has been a full-time DJ for the last 10 years, playing at just about every dance club in NYC. From Tribeca to Harlem, from Brooklyn to the Bronx, Herbert Holler’s seamless, highly sought-after mix of dance music from the ’60s through today continues to be the most buzzed about, hottest set in town, packing dance floors till the wee hours at both posh bottle lounges and big dance clubs alike. A hip-hop kid since “Rappers Delight,” Herbert’s connection to the music and its message is evident through his mix of classic rap, r&b, reggae and rock records from yesterday through today. A disco freak since discovering his dad’s Salsoul vinyl in the attic, Herbert’s sick selection of 70s classics sound as fresh as they did the day they broke, and you won’t even notice when he moves into the 80s, hitting the best records the decade had to offer. Herbert has recently hit the House and Dance scene hard with his own brand of energetic, underground, techy, progressive, global yet always soulful mix of new dance-music must-haves. (His well received “My House Vol 2” mix was featured on MusicChoice’s Dance channel, hitting over four million homes across the US, and “My House Vol 3” has just been released to critical acclaim.) And mashing it up isn’t something new to Herbert: It’s something he’s always done at just about every gig for the better part of the last decade, playing an open-format mix of songs chosen on-the-spot, never pre-mixed or pre-arranged.
 
Herbert Holler is also very well known for his reviews of music, clubs, restaurants and fashion, in the now 10 years-and-running weekly email distribution, “The Herbert Holler.” Reaching an estimated 28,000-plus inboxes, “the Holler” can be found on every desktop and laptop in the industry, in every trendsetter’s “Saved” folder, a part of every mover and shaker’s weekly must-read. It lists the best parties New York City nightlife has to offer, a list of Herbert Holler’s own gigs, some editorial, and a Top 20 song selection. His database of contacts spans back to 1994, when Herbert Holler moved to the Big Apple and plotted his course, a path that’s been paved to other cities, like Chicago, Miami, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta and Cleveland, and other countries, like Japan, France, Costa Rica, England, Canada, Mexico, St. Maarten and Ireland.
 
Today, Herbert Holler continues to wreak havoc at night. The number of “Herbert Holler” recipients continues to grow, as do NYC-based party brands Herbert is responsible for: “The Freedom Dance Party,” NYC’s longest running weekly Friday night dance party, now in its 10th year, recent winner of Papermag’s “Best Party of 2010 (Peoples Choice)” and nominated for “Best Party of 2010” (nationwide) by URB Magazine, and “My House,” Herbert Holler’s new home for house music, electronica, global rhythms and disco classics. In addition, Herbert continues to work with some of music’s biggest artists, spinning for legendary names like Boyz II Men, Blondie, Q Tip from a Tribe Called Quest, Questlove from the Roots, underground house-music maven Lil’ Louie Vega, Anthony Hamilton, Barrington Levy and many more. His client list includes AOL, Cosmopolitan, Diageo, Grey Goose, Jamie Foxx, Jessica Biel, the NAACP, the New York Times, Tracy Morgan and Virgin Atlantic Airways, to name a few.
 
www.twitter.com/herbertholler
www.facebook.com/herberthollerpage
www.soundcloud.com/herbertholler
www.freedomdanceparty.com
www.facebook.com/thefreedompartynyc
www.twitter.com/freedompartynyc
 
To contact Herbert Holler, send an email to herbert@herbertholler.com.

Cosi gets down not just for the funk of it, but for the love of it. He spins music like no other DJ on the planet and that is why New York is proud to claim him as one of its own. He spins because nothing else is quite as satisfying. “I play a mix of 70 & 80s R&B classics, funk, 80’s pop, hip-hop, reggae, afro-beat and house music,” Cosi explains. “I have a knack for knowing what people want to hear from just reading the crowd. When I play it, they dance. That’s the best feeling.” The feeling continues, even into his 15th year of spinning, as one of the few DJs who has truly mastered his art. He seamlessly blends several, if not all, of these genres throughout the evening, flawlessly moving the minds and bodies of those in the audience, making him one of the most sought-after DJs in New York City. If you’ve been to one of the myriad parties where Cosi has played, you’d know this experience first hand. Quite simply, his talent touches your soul. Tastemakers at Nike, The Gap, Brooks Brothers, MOMA, Hugo Boss, Timberland, Vibe Magazine, Phat Farm, The Chris Rock Show, Pepsi, The Magic Johnson Foundation, Enyce, Yves Saint Laurent, The National Basketball Players’ Association, The Fader Magazine, the Hudson Hotel, the W Hotel and many others have experienced this first-hand. He has held weekly’s at nightclubs such as Nell’s, Cheetah, Justin’s, APT, Lotus, NV, Float, Metronome, Discotheque, Joe’s Pub, Martinez Gallery, Mission, BLVD, and Café Deville (just to mention a few). All have hired Cosi to set the mood and create the energy for the night. He has created the perfect vibe for parties in a number of cities throughout the U.S. (from New York to Las Vegas to Puerto Rico) and internationally (Mexico, Bahamas, Anguilla to name a few). Cosi has even spun for former President Bill Clinton in the Hamptons! Here’s your chance to dance your way out of your constrictions.