globalrap : Message: [World Hip Hop Market] Euro 2008 Edition

Peace to all my global hip hop heads around the world!

If you are into soccer (football/futbol/voetbal) like I am, then you are probably following the 2008 European Championships in Austria & Switzerland. So this newsblast is in honor of the tournament. (Condolences to those in England…)

NETHERLANDS – The Dutch team is my favorite (non-US) team and they are looking awesome this summer! And my men Baba Israel and Yako 440 will be touring Netherlands and Czech Republic over the next couple of weeks with legendary Australian emcee Morganics. The 11-day tour starts TODAY (June 12^th) in Amsterdam, then goes on to Prague and elsewhere. Check the schedule at http://www.myspace.com/subphonikforces and if you want to hook up with them, email baba@.... They are an ill hip hop crew with massive talent in beatboxing and freestyle (in fact, Baba was featured in the movies Freestyle and Breath Control). They have just re-released their amazing album Beatbox Dub Poetics and finished their video for “Runnin Outta Time” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuN1n74npLE). They will also be in UK in August for Process 08, a hip hop theatre festival (http://www.breakingcycles.co.uk/).

PORTUGAL – The first team through to the second round after dismantling Russia and Czech Republic. Yow! Well, I was blessed to see Portugese superstar Sam the Kid and his entourage rock the show at the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival in March. He told me that Portugese hip hop is barely known outside of Portugal, but he was part of an amazing European group called Diversidad Experience (http://www.myspace.com/diversidadexperience). French producer Spike Miller put together an all star European lineup to promote European unity. It included Sam the Kid and DJ Cruzfader (Portugal), Promoe (Sweden), Curse (Germany), Akhenaton and Skurik’n of IAM (France), Abd Al Malik (France), Mikk Furie (France), Baloji (Belgium) and Noora Noor (Norway) and Mucho Muchacho of 7 Notas 7 Colores (Spain). Download the single and video free on their MySapce site. If that’s noit enough, they are having a festival at the end of June in Vienna which will include everyone listed PLUS the entire Looptroop Rockers (Sweden), the entire 7 Notas 7 Colores (Spain), Texta (Austria’s biggest group), Waxolutionists (Austrian turntablist crew), my man DJ Cut-Ex (Austria), Porta (Spain) and Colle De Fomento (Italy).

MY RECENT ARTICLES

Check out my profile of Taiwanese trio Tripoets on Flight 808.com: http://www.flight808.com/?p=247

On Aussie site Planet Urban, I break down some of the unexpected pleasures of the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival: http://www.planeturban.com.au/node/4023

RECENT GLOBAL HIP HOP ARTICLES:

MOROCCO: Female rappers win Morocco’s first national hip-hop competition

CANADA: Abstract Rude: Passion for Hip Hop

UK: Breakin’ Convention thrills to a Brazilian beat

UK: The Master of Grime: Dizzee Rascal tones down his gritty, jagged hip-hop style

UGANDA: Ndugga Spreads the Hip Hop Gospel

RWANDA: Hip Hop Dominating Music Industry

YEMEN: Yemeni rapper meshes cultures through music

YEMEN: Hip Hop Comes Alive in Yemen

LEBANON: DJ Lethal Skillz Pushes Arab Hip Hop

SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Hip Hop’s Painful Birth

Until next time, go Holland!