If you didn't know already, we're doing a special series with Chris Classic, called #SummerMondays, all through the month of June during The REFRESH Radio Show, broadcasting from the storefront of the global music bar Meridian 23 on 23rd Street in NYC. Come through! It's afterwork happy hour... drink specials and no cover.
Photo by Jose Miranda
Listen to the First 10 Shows of The REFRESH Radio Show
I can't believe we're already 10 shows in so far. It's been a crazy couple of months. Running, DJing and promoting a weekly 3-hour radio show (and afterwork event) is no joke. I'm on this hamster wheel doing work for it for sure -- that's to say, it's A LOT of work. But the work itself is rewarding and fun. I'm passionate about the music. And I believe in what we're building. If you haven't already, go to our Soundcloud page and follow us -- there you can stream and also download for free all of our archived shows. That's hours and hours of music. We're also posting track lists for educational purposes so that if you like a song, you can find it and support the artists too. Again, hours of music and always a DJ mix from me (like, in total, 10 hours of me mixing right there!) DJ Prince, and a special guest DJ or artist (shout out and thanks to all our special guests so far!) And remember we're on 23rd St every Monday from 6pm-8pm. Come through and get REFRESHED.
Ram Pa Pa Pam Pam: New Dancehall x Reggaeton x EDM Remix
I proudly present some new music I produced at the end of last summer with my good brother EchoSlim. This one is for the dancefloor. Inspired by an artist whom we both love, the currently incarcerated Buju Banton, we wanted to make something that would make him proud if he heard it. Buju's Til Shiloh was one of the first records I owned, and on it was the song "Champion," which became one of his biggest hits. As a drummer, every time I heard him say "Ram pa pa pam pam" it made me think of a drum beat. That's the sample that holds our dancehall x reggaeton x edm remix together. Stream it on Soundcloud below and EchoSlim has more over at his blog.
LAUNCH of itstherefresh.com and The REFRESH Radio Show
It's live. ITSTHEREFRESH.COM.
The Refresh Radio Show launch is on March 9 at Meridian 23 Music Bar (161 W. 23rd Street, New York, NY). Radio show is from 6-8pm and the extended party goes until 10pm. After that you will find me there weekly Mondays 6-8pm EST. The radio show will be broadcast live on M23radio.com but it's also a live bar/lounge, which means you can hang out with good people afterwork, while the show's on in the background. Come through and add to the vibes over there! If you miss the show you can still listen to archives on The REFRESH Soundcloud and Mixcloud.
ILLEGALIZE featured on Okayplayer.com
"It’s no secret that we at Okayplayer are ravenous fans of great live hip-hop, and New York City act Illegalize is quickly becoming one of our local favorites. Fronted by MCs Tavi Fields and Maniphes, and grounded by drummer mixtape-maker Kieran K. Meadows (peep his proper OKP apparel in the pic above), the ensemble turned out a shrewdly emotive performance last week at a Manhattan event celebrating the work of legendary director Spike Lee. The pairing, it turns out, is perfect, as Illegalize’s song “Space Patrol” was recently featured in the Lee’s newest film, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus."
"Illegalize captured their vibe-heavy original song “Whatcha Gonna Do” live on video during the event, which now offers a perfect preview of the group’s tightly focused skills as a performing band. Watery rhodes melodies and a grade-A snare knock underline the track, which gives both Fields and Maniphes ample breathing room to dig deep into introspective lines. Fans of the recent relaxed-yet-rigorous Ghostface Killah/Badbadnotgood tracks will definitely find much to appreciate. Having already proved they can rock a house party with steeze, the new clip is evidence that Illegalize is ready for even more sizable stages. Watch the live clip below and stay tuned for more from this crew."