EVENT: Tillman's Select Presents Top Dolla Raz (7/24/12)

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TMB Recap: The 2012 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival

For the last four summers OC and I have been meeting up at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival to enjoy great music, good food and networking with dope people. He comes from Connecticut and I troop down from Upstate New York. It's become a tradition of sorts. One that we both look forward to.

Each year as we've gotten the feel for the festival, our camera arsenal has also grown (well, OC's has) and so we're able to expand our coverage of the event. This year we headed out to Brooklyn with three photographers (myself, OC and 3feetofanger) on a mission. Eight hours. 500 pictures. These are some of our best shots.

Before we get to the pics, I wanted to sum up the event in two categories, highlights and low-lights.

Highlights:

• Seeing TMB favorites Clear Soul Forces, Chuuwee and Charmingly Ghetto rock the BHF stage with ScienZe and Dutch Rebelle.
• Witnessing live A Tribe Called Quest and Leaders of The New School on the same stage for the first time in decades.
• Slick Rick, Smif-n-Wessun and others rocking with Busta Rhymes, one of the greatest performers of our time, alongside his longtime hypeman Spliff Star.

Low-lights:

• Tickets for this year's final day jumped from $15 to $30, which turned off some folks. Still an affordable event considering the headliner and his guest but something I heard a lot of negativity about.
• Even with a higher ticket price, Saturday's show didn't have nearly the amount of  performances as they've had in previous years, which led to too much downtime in between sets and prior to Busta Rhymes finally taking the stage. 
• The folks at Brooklyn Bodega, who run the event, granted us press passes. That was dope. But we didn't realize those passes provided limited access to the press pit in front of the stage once the headliner hit the stage. So we ultimately got booted because that area suddenly became only accessible to all access badge holders. This could have reduced the quality of our pics. Good thing we're nice like that though and worked it out. Ha! But yeah, this info wasn't communicated to us and that was kind of lame.

All and all, it was a cool event. Not nearly as great as previous years overall. But as I mentioned, there were a gang of dope moments, many we caught on camera. Peep the visuals after the jump.

What I'm Watching: Mike Irving "Outdated" feat. Evolfo Doofeht & Charmingly Ghetto

What's that Wu-Tang Financial saying? Oh, you need to diversify your bonds nigga. Ha! Well, that's exactly what the homie Charmingly Ghetto is doing, diversifying his bonds on the Mike Irving track featuring the Boston emcee and Evolfo Doofeht. CG is coming off of a heck of a week, which included the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival this weekend. Big things! He said to me earlier, he's just trying to be humble and take it all in. Oh and shouts to CG for rocking the Runnin' Life tshirt. Chea!

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J. ManifestO "J. ManifestO"

After a few sneak peeks, J. ManifestO of O.I.S.D. unleashes his self titled project. Featuring solid production from J. Monopoly, The Produce Section plus J. ManifestO himself, among others. The 13 track joint also boasts features from JohnNY U., Top $ Raz, Dom O Briggs and others. Hit play and enjoy. Solid.

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What I'm Watching: Dunson "Used to Know" Feat. Lazee

Dunson delivers the vid for his new single featuring Lazee from his upcoming project The Investment. Enjoy. Chea!

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What I'm Watching: Bigstat x Kill The Alarm "Against The Grain"

Peep the latest from Bigstat. Chea!

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Cheekipowpow "Hey Heart"

With Mic Blaque on production peep the latest single from Cheekipowpow upcoming project Hear Me Roar ... LOUDER. Enjoy.



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@KirbyLauryen's A Song A Day: Day 197 & 198

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Two days away from the 200 "A Song A Day" milestone, Kirby renders two solid and beautiful songs for you. Enjoy.

twitter.com/kirbylauryen
kirbylauryensings.bandcamp.com

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Charmingly Ghetto "Catching Feelings"

The homie Charmingly Ghetto took to the stage this Saturday in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival as the winner of the Show & Prove Super Bowl. He did his thing. Catch the track he released leading up to his performance. Dope.



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J. ManifestO "Mother's Sister's Cousin (All Y'all)" feat. JohnNY U.

J. ManifestO drops the last preview from his self-titled project due out tomorrow. Linking up with his O.I.S.D. brother, J. ManifestO and JohnNY U. deliver up Mother's Sister's Cousin. Enjoy. Chea!



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@KirbyLauryen's A Song A Day: Day 196

I don't think I've heard Kirby sound better than she sounds on Day 196. Virtually perfection, Kirby's strong, powerful vocals bring us a song inspired by Keyshia Cole. If I could throw in my personal opinion, I don't think anyone could sing it better than the one who wrote and sang it first: Kirby.

Enjoy.

twitter.com/kirbylauryen
kirbylauryensings.bandcamp.com

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What I'm Watching: @the_17th "My Drug"

"Just when I think that I can break the ties, I shake inside, and only more of you helps me. But only more of you kills me."

 Although grim, The 17th brilliantly executes the video for his first major song "My Drug," which gives an eye-opening look into the struggles and dangers of drug addiction. What I also find fascinating, is that if you listen closely to the lyrics, "My Drug" doubly serves as a representation of an extremely toxic relationship. All too often, we hear stories about friends and/or family in situations that are detrimental to their mental health, but because that's all they know, they continue to stay involved and it becomes some sort of an addiction. With that being said, The 17th has taken steps to help those in need. His song is currently being featured as an aid for a music therapy class at a local drug rehabilitation facility in his home town. Because both the song and video have been so well received, it is his hope to get "My Drug" into rehab facilities across the country. I congratulate him in his effort because as many of us understand, whether from personal experience or from people we know, drug addiction is a very real thing, and to fix the ever growing problem, it starts at home.

To stay up-to-date with The 17th, you can follow him at twitter.com/the_17th (he's a really nice guy, so hit him up) and you can hear "My Drug" and his latest track "Push" in rotation at Radio 104.1 FM. The 17th is also working on his debut EP Free Music set for release next month, but in the meantime, enjoy the video.

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