-Special thanks to everyone who made it to Cypha 10 and Zulu Jam at Festival Sundiata last weekend!

-Members of 206 Zulu participated in a two-hour forum and performance at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia today (Thursday, May 27th). Panelists delved into the origins of Hip Hop as a platform for social change and it's positive affects on diverse communities worldwide. King Khazm elaborated upon the challenges the youth of today face and how many are able to overcome them with Hip Hop, such as the founders of the culture did in the 70's and 80's. Julie-C explains how media consolidation played a large role in the commodification of mainstream music. Suntonio Bandanaz and Inkubiz shared there experiences as long-time participants in the local Hip Hop community, and there reflections on its current state. DJ's Sureal and Seabefore energized the lunchroom cafeteria with Hip Hop, Funk and various blends. The afternoon culminated to live performances which demonstrated the underlying discussion themes and was well received. Special thanks to James Schneider and the staff at S.P.S.C.C. for inviting 206 Zulu to participate!

Fort Knox Five, 'Shift' Feat. Afrika Bambaataa and Mustafa Akbar

The song 'Shift' by Washington, D.C.'s Fort Knox Five is pretty infectious all by itself, but the video is simply out of this world -- almost literally.

The next-level special effects, animation and surreal cinematography aren't groundbreaking by accident -- they're the result of months of hard work and intensive labor by a team of technicians. While the song itself was conceived last year during President Obama's inaugural ceremonies, the video fittingly represents a new chapter for what is possible to accomplish with music videos. Hats off to directors Stu-Mackay Smith and DJ Ball, who combined live action -- filmed in HD Oakley Red -- with sharp animation for a video that, like we said, is otherworldly.

Oh, and did we mention that there's dancing involved? The choreography is no joke, as sports cinematographer Christian Begin was brought in to capture Vancouver's Now or Never B-Boy crew in action alongside the Hybrid Movement Parkour crew -- and then there are the go-go dancers. Graphic designer John Langdon even created a special Fort Knox Five ambigram for the video. You'll just have to watch the clip below to see what we mean.



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Rammellzee, Hip Hop pioneer passes
By Lady Chinita, Hip Hop Forever



Rammellzee was a graffiti writer, performance artist, rap/hip-hop musician and sculptor from New York. His death was announced on 29th June 2010. Rammellzee's graffiti and art work are based on his theory of Gothic Futurism, which describes the battle between letters and their symbolic warfare against any standardizations enforced by the rules of the alphabet; his treatise, "Iconic Panzerisms", details an anarchic plan by which to revise the role and deployment of language in society. He was also instrumental as one of the original hip hop artists from the New York area who introduced specific vocal styles which date back to the early 1980s. His influence can still be heard in contemporary artists such as The Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill. His song "Beat Bop" was featured in the film Style Wars.

Discovered by a larger audience through the 1982 cult movie Wild Style by Charlie Ahearn, his fame in graffiti circles was established when he painted New York subway trains with Dondi, OU3, and Ink 76, and doctor Revolt.

Rammellzee was also a member of the Death Comet Crew, with Stewart Albright and Michael Diekmann. In 1988, he and his band Gettovetts recorded the album "Missionaries Moving." In 2003, Rammellzee performed at the Knitting Factory in New York with the newly reformed Death Comet Crew.

His artistic work has been shown in art galleries throughout the US and Europe. Currently, Rammellzee's Letter Racers, and other Noise includes artistic works by individuals mostly identified with their musical contributions.

Rammellzee passed away on 29th June. Cause of death is as of yet still unknown.



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Katalyst arts program unites youth from many backgrounds
Seattle Times
By Marian Liu

Photo by Mike Siegel

Tacked together with plywood, the recording booth provided only the bare basics — a mike and a headset — but Dennis Randle didn't care. It was his sanctuary from the streets.

"This is where one Blood and one Crip are now homies," said Randle, 24. "You connect artistically and become close community."

Randle spoke between recording sessions at Katalyst, a music and graffiti workshop run by Washington Asian Pacific Islander Community Services (WAPI) in the Chinatown International District. Established in 1993, the nonprofit has been offering classes since 2006 in various hip-hop disciplines (music, recording and art), taught by local artists like the Blue Scholars, Gabriel Teodros, Daniel "King Khazm" Kogita and DJ B-Girl.

"The more time [young people] put into music, they less time they put into other things," said Mia Beardsley, aka DJ B-Girl. "We're taking the street hustle and turning it into something positive."

Some kids come to the class through WAPI, which conducts substance-abuse prevention and treatment for youth. Some are ordered to go by a judge for past transgressions. Others, like 13-year-old Shea Dailey, simply come to "hang out and do art."

Together the students, from teens to 20s, are putting on a free showcase featuring youth performances and art June 18 at Hidmo, a restaurant and meeting space in the Central District. They are also collaborating on a compilation album, filled with songs recorded in class.

Randle is hard at work at his. He pokes his head out of the makeshift studio after recording a hook, asking local artist Mike Lont, aka Mic Flont, how it sounds. After a nod of approval, he continues recording.

He chants: "I walk like a champion/talk like a champion/eat like a champion/then repeat."

"The court ordered me to come here," said Randle, aka Greedy. "I come from being poor ... but here they give us food, they give us positivity."

The goal is to provide music certification so the students can be their own bosses as artists, and maybe even grow into the program's teachers.

"It's an alternative to drug usage, something that can be built into a career," said Greg Garcia, WAPI's executive director.

But it's a lean program, dependent on grants. There are only 20-some students, and many come by bus on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. They huddle in little circles, in sweats and jeans, passing around their black sketchbooks and reciting their rhymes off crumpled loose-leaf binder paper. Besides these sketchbooks, they share an earnestness to learn.

"This is something I look forward to, it's a hater-free zone," said Charles Wilton, a senior at Rainier Beach High School. "It's safe."

The office is humble: There's the plywood recording studio in the corner, and there are a few computers for production work, but some laptops were recently stolen. Decoration is minimal, except for a graffiti mural in the back with mugs of former teachers, like the popular Seattle hip-hop duo Blue Scholars. Posted on the walls on butcher paper are handwritten rules of conduct — which include "no beefing" (or fighting), "don't come in high/drunk" and "no swearing."

The standard is respect.

"Everybody comes in with a blank slate," said Lont, 28. "There are no egos."

Don Nguyen, 16, has been in treatment for 17 weeks, 15 weeks sober. Known by the tag "Junior," he joined the class after hearing about the graffiti component: "The people here, they motivate me, they motivate me to be like them."

Others attest to the program's effectiveness. Both Randle and his good friend Star LeBron have gone back to school — Seattle Central and Shoreline Community College.

Growing up in New York, LeBron admits she was "all over the place, and not doing school.

"I was kind of a bad kid and I stumbled across this. ... You can do court, or do music. You get free studio time here. It's the only way to get out of this harsh lifestyle. ... The environment is real. They don't treat you as a student, they treat you as a friend."

Katalyst program coordinator Beardsley is often the students' confidante. They have her cell number.

"The biggest challenge of the program is attendance," said Beardsley, a DJ, producer and hip-hop artist. "Something may happen at home, or at school, or if they're slipping back and disappear, so I'm always so happy to see everybody."

Sometimes, Beardsley is the only person that knows what is exactly going down in their lives.

"They have a big moment, they have to make a big decision and the key thing is to come through for them," said Beardsley, 33. "It's fulfilling to be that person, to gain that trust."

She is looking into expanding Katalyst into the South End of Seattle with more classes — recording, emceeing, deejaying, production and graffiti. She also wants to kick off jam sessions on Saturdays.

"This is where red and blue rags can meet," said Randle, referring to youths with different gang affiliations. "We don't know where nobody lives, we just know their hearts. We all have that commitment and passion for music."

Marian Liu: 206-464-3825 or mliu@seattletimes.com