Take a look at the flyer for all the details on times, locations and battles. The blogosphere and message boards are all abuzz with predictions. Do the Steez readers have their own assurances of what massacres will ensue?

Plus, the event also has plenty more in store including a performance by local celebrities- MAYDAY!

Acclaimed and controversial Jamaican-born emcee Canibus is proud to announce the release of his brand new LP entitled C Of Tranquility. The 15 track album will be available on October 5th from Interdependent Media, the label responsible for releases from Tanya Morgan, Finale, J*DaVeY, Moe Green, K’Naan, and co-founded by Evan “TRUTHLiVE” Phillips.

C Of Tranquility, Canibus’ tenth studio album, features production credits from DJ Premier, Jake One, Scram Jones, The Bizness, J-Zone and Slopfunkdust and proves that he is just as on point now as when he was first hand-picked by Wyclef Jean for the sensational debut LP Can-I-Bus. in 1998. His widely-known lyrical prowess, along with a knack for creating songs that double as personal statements, is even represented in some of the track titles on the release. “Merchant of Metaphors,” “Free Words,” and “The Messenger’s Message” all deliver on their promise of insightful and dexterous wordplay. Having been deemed by several rap magazines as being one of the best lyrical freestyle rappers, Canibus recognizes this record as his opportunity to showcase his skills once again, implying that C Of Tranquility is the culmination of years of practice and progress. “Sometimes life will beat you down just to remind you that you’re alive,” Canibus said during a 2009 interview with Conspiracy Worldwide Hip-Hop Radio. “There’s no better time than the present to try and actualize your dreams.”

Canibus’ career dates back to the early 90′s, when he managed to make a name for himself by engaging in emcee battles with Wu-Tang Clan and the Def Squad, even before the release of his much-anticipated 1998 debut, Can-I-Bus. The record first appeared on the Billboard 200 at position No. 2, behind Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and went on to sell more than 500,000 copies in its first year. In 2000, he entered into the world of acting, holding a supporting role as “Mo Blak” in the Spike Lee satire Bamboozled. The same year also brought about 2000 B.C., his sophomore follow-up featuring the first collaboration of The HRSMN, a hip-hop supergroup composed of Canibus, Ras Kass, Kurupt, and Wu Tang’s Killah Priest. They would next come together on The Horsemen Project – a collection of demos and outtakes originally recorded in 2001 – which was released in 2003, immediately following his critically acclaimed fifth studio album, Rip the Jacker. This past February, Canibus’ Melatonin Magik entered in at the #91 spot on the Hip Hop Billboard charts. The single, “Airstrike,” was an internet sensation, garnering 1 million downloads in its first week.

On C Of Tranquility, Canibus is in peak-condition, establishing that nothing can slow him down, not even service in the United States Army or being lauded -prematurely, perhaps – by fans and critics alike as hip-hop’s next “Great One.” Ultimately, what has made him the rapper – and the man – he is today is his ability to persevere and to look to the future.

Streams:
Bio, pictures, and streams available here

MySpace

Label’s Website

Staycations are all the rage these days. And for good reason with most of us living in the red there’s no room for plane tickets and frivolous vacations. Therein lies the beauty of the staycation, you don’t have to travel too far or spread your budget too thin.

This Labor Day Weekend take advantage of your time-off with a quick trip down to the Keys- the land of the laid back. Now throw in a bevy of brews and we got ourselves a vacation with a capital ‘V”. In it’s maiden voyage Key West Brewfest will offer samples from over sixty breweries like Velvet Hammer Bock from Great Dane Brewing, Monk In The Trunk from Jupiter’s Inlet Brewing and Dogfish Head’s renowned Raison D’Etre, just to name a few. And to keep you in the game longer there will also be plenty to absorb the suds- ribs, burgers, hot dogs… you know the usual and delicious suspects.

On Sunday after you’ve burped the ABC’s and become a self proclaimed cicerone you can sit down for something a little classier, but with the same beer merriment. Enjoy six courses perfectly paired with Sam Adams brews. The dinner will feature, among others, Latitude 48 with chorizo, fennel and steamed clams with hops. Take a moment to mop the drool from you face, thanks.

Just to warm your heart since you stomach and taste buds are titillated, the Southernmost Hotel Collection teamed up with the Key West Sunrise Rotary of the Conch Republic to host this event where all proceeds are to benefit the Rotary Club’s charitable efforts.

Here’s your itinerary for the weekend. Start packing and tell your liver to do some push ups.

VIP Welcome Party
Friday, September 3^rd
5-7pm
The Shores Bar
Free to vendors, VIPs, Sponsors and Organizing Committee
Suggested Donation $5.00

Key West BrewFest
Saturday, Sept. 4^th
4-8pm
South Beach at Southernmost Beach Café (where the Atlantic meets Duval)
Beer Tastings, food by Southernmost Beach Café and entertainment by Toko Irie
$20 Admission

“Toko Irie’s blend of upbeat Island Reggae and Calypso generates an easy tropical feel. Renowned for his unique 3-stick method of playing the steel drums, his boundless charisma transports audiences to Caribbean balmy breezes and — Ya Mon — everyone has a fun time.”

Samuel Adams Beer Dinner
Sunday, Sept. 5^th
6:30-8:30pm
Southernmost Beach Café
$50 Admission*

*Includes dinner. Tax + gratuity will be additional.
Click Here for a List of  Beers Included in the Tasting!

Ticket information: 800.354.4455 or info@keywestbrewfest.com
Tickets can be purchased at the Southernmost Hotel, The Historic Cigar Alley in Duval Square and Key West Bait & Tackle in the historic seaport.

A Serbian Film,

Alas, who am I break the cycle?

You may be thinking to yourself, “Is it that bad?” or, if you’re like me (Before I watched it.) you’re thinking, “Are there any titties in it?” The answer to both is yes. There are titties galore and quite a few cooter shots, too (WIN!), but the events that transpire, especially during the second half of the movie, are the biggest fucking bummer ever. This movie might as well be called, “Boner Holocaust” because any and all erections you may get throughout are thoroughly and efficiently destroyed. To add insult to injury, the more you watch, the worse you feel for ever having gotten one to begin with.

This goddamn film pissed me off so fucking bad because I wanted nothing more than to blow a load watching the main character fuck his lady while they watch his old porno movies, but I decided to hold off for a better scene. Then I ended up getting fucked in the ass by the screenwriter and director’s bullshit desire to fuck the audience’s conscious up. Personally, I think this movie would have been an hour shorter and 90 percent better if they would have added more titties and ended about 30 minutes in.

Basically the story is about a guy named Milos (Played by Srdjan Todorovic.) with a huge dick who retires from his lucrative career as a porn star to live a normal life with his wife and kid in some suburban town in Serbia. He’s running out of cash and some artsy, fag director hires him to star in a porn for a ridiculous amount of money. He agrees. This is when the movie’s asshole opens up good and wide and takes a nice big shit on your head. It gets gruesome. There’s all kinds of stupid shit depicted that’s put in for the sake of shock and it succeeds exponentially.

My question is, why the fuck would a director ruin a perfectly good movie filled with hot ass and beautiful titties by adding a bunch of kiddie porn? Most fans of this film will argue that people like me just didn’t, “Get it,” or that it is the, “Poetry of human depravity,” and I say to them, “Fuck you and no, I would not like whip cream in my frappuccino, dip shit.” I did get it I just happen to think that the story fucking sucked. Just because a movie is brutally gruesome, doesn’t mean it’s good. While this film is shot very well and boasts pretty good acting, the story is about as entertaining as getting an enema. In fact, I sat on my bidet for about 52 percent of the film because splashing warm water on my asshole for 50 minutes gave me something more pleasant to reflect on later.

Five things I would have enjoyed more with the time it took to watch this film:

1. A nice lunch with friends.
2. Getting drunk.
3. Gonorrhea
4. Spending more time on my bidet.
5. Getting raped.

If you must, watch the trailer below.

Chris Coghlan is a left fielder for the Florida Marlins. We now know he can never be a professional clown after he injured his knee landing, while smashing a pie into the face of teammate and clubhouse grandfather Wes Helms after his game-winning hit a few weeks ago. The celebratory pie in the face during the victory interview is a baseball tradition, but possibly the lamest way to tear ligaments in your knee.

10. When Adam Eaton was a pitcher for the San Diego (Which of course in German means ‘a whale’s vagina’) Padres, he stabbed himself  in the stomach with a paring knife while trying to remove the plastic wrap from a DVD. He ended up needing stitches and missed a game, while sportswriters all over the world ended up with an easy target. Not sure what movie it was, but I’m pretty sure it was a slasher…

9. They say your bad hygiene habits can come back to bite you in the ass. As a rookie for the Red Sox in 1923, Clarence Blethen thought he looked older and meaner if he pitched without his fake teeth in, so he would take them out and stick them in his back pocket. Problem is he forgot to put them back in his mouth when he went up to bat one time. As he slid into second base after a hit…ouch. He bit himself in the ass.

8. Former Phoenix Suns all-star and current mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson missed the final two games of the ’93 season and a playoff game (loss), after teammate and NBA legend Charles Barkley bear hugged him so hard after Johnson’s game winning shot that he dislocated his shoulder. Guess KJ was more of a high-five type of guy.

7. The king of all food-related injuries, outfielder Kevin Mitchell missed a game after straining a muscle while throwing up. He also once needed a root canal after chipping a tooth biting into a previously frozen doughnut which had hardened after he microwaved it for too long…yes you read that correctly.

I give this countdown 4 and 1/2 out of 5

6. Reason # 349 why I don’t like soccer as much as other sports: In 2004,  midfielder Paulo Diogo assisted on a goal in a Swiss league match. He then celebrated by climbing a fence which was separating the fans. His wedding ring got caught in the fence without him knowing it so that when he jumped off the fence…his finger did not. He ripped off half of his finger permanently. Watch the video here. That was the first time I didn’t think a soccer player was faking an injury. Did he get too excited? Why was he wearing his wedding ring during a game? Why is there a fence anyway, is it a zoo? Reason # 1 for me to start liking soccer a bit more: The referee gave Diogo a penalty for excessive celebration while he was on the floor writhing in pain.

5. Former Marlins infielder Bret Barberie once missed a game after making nachos. He neglected to wash his hands after handling the spicy chili peppers and smeared chili oil in his eye when he went to put his contact lenses in. The saddest part is that was the only hot streak he had all year for the Marlins.

4. In 2008, a drunk Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg while trying to reach for his gun which had fallen from the waistband of his sweatpants while in a popular New York club. To go with losing his season and a huge chunk of change for bail, the NFL wide receiver also caught two felony gun charges. The real crime? He wore sweatpants to the club.

3. Glenallen Hill bloodied his hands and knees and broke a glass table after the arachnophobia suffering outfielder was sleepwalking and trying to escape from spiders. His wife woke him up screaming on the couch. Hill later offered to reporters to come see the house and blood stains if they didn’t believe him. No joke.

2. Before Zenedine Zidane, Gus Frerotte was the king of headbutt infamy. He cemented his bonehead legacy by ramming his head into…well…cement. After running in a touchdown, the quarterback decided to headbutt the thinly padded cement wall in the end zone. He gave himself a concussion which knocked him, and subsequently the Redskins out for the 1997 season. Surprisingly, this idiot move did not make Frerrote the head honcho on my countdown.

1. Forget about just sports, this is one of the dumbest human happenings ever. In 2001 vs the Giants, Arizona kicker Bill Gramatica came in during the 1st half of a regular season game and kicked the Cards up to a 3-0 lead. What happened next was puzzling. Gramatica apparently had just kicked the greatest meaningless field goal for a bad team ever. He inexplicably started jumping up for joy like a crazy person, landed awkwardky and tore his ACL. He had to be carted off of the field, and gave people another reason to not take football kickers seriously. No one knows why this little man was cheering and screaming as if he’d found an Olivia Munn sex tape, but for just that one moment he made me think NFL stood for Nice Fail, Loser.

Here are a few of the dis-honorable mentions that did not make the list or I had no punchline for. I had so many to choose from-

The Boot Camp Clik takes over this weeks podcast. Again, the mixing and scratching brought to you by, local celebrity, Guilletine.

In the search for different groups, record labels or artists to feature on our podcasts, I ran into an old school friend (practically family member) of mine, Jorge The Engineer, over at www.bangthebox.net, which just so happens to be one of the biggest Duck Down fans I’ve ever met. I simply asked him if he wanted to point us in the right direction of a sick tracklisting for the podcast. He was quick to respond with a list of 28 songs. Of course in the hunt for the perfect mixes, Guilletine added a few of his own picks and left off some tunes that weren’t exactly sounding key on the mix.

With all that said, enjoy this weeks podcast and reminisce on the early 90′s NY Boom Bap.

DOWNLOAD LINK: 082431: Duck Down Podcast Mixed by Guilletine (Right Click + Save As…)
[See post to listen to audio]

Tracklist:
01. Black Moon – Who Got Props
02. Boot Camp – Illa Noyz
03. Heltah Skeltah – Leflaur Leflah Eshkoska
04. OGC – Hurrican Starang
05. Black Moon – i Got Cha Opin
06. Double Barrel – Hol Up
07. Cocoa Brovaz – Still Standing Strong
08. 9th Wonder & Buckshot – Hold it Down
09. Skyzoo – Like A Marathon
10. Black Moon – The Onslaught
11. Cocoa Brovaz – Bucktown Usa
12. Sean Price – Duckdown
13. Black Moon – One-Two
14. Buckshot – Follow With Pride
15. Black Moon – Slave
16. Heltah Skeltah – Letha Brainz Blo
17. Smif – N- Wessun – Cession At The Doghile
18. Black Moon – Two Turntables and a Mic
19. Skyzoo – Return of the Real

I was solo for this outing (not by choice), no photographer (sorry about the shitty pics), no friends, etc., but I figured I had promised this review to myself so  I was gonna go regardless. Arriving on time as any punctual reviewer should, I soon found out that I was pretty damn early. Actually I was on time but the opening act, Pretty Please, was nowhere to be found. No matter, this being Churchill’s, of course they were serving up tasty ice cold time machines at the bar that would help speed up the process and off I went, like Wimpy in search of a hamburger (What? No Popeye references allowed?). After a little delay Pretty Please finally showed up and a manic set up quickly followed. Their gear was already onstage, so I’m assuming they were there earlier, set up and took off (?). Whatever the case,  the night was finally started.  Pretty Please sounded good right off the bat. The 4 piece band has an eclectic set up that somehow works. Three fun looking females, all dolled up in classic Bowie make up and tight bright outfits handle vocal duties while simultaneously playing bass, guitars, violin, keyboard and basically everything under the sun while their only male member sits back and enjoys the view from behind his drumset (sounds like a sweet gig huh? Just sitting and watching 3 ladies rock out in front of you all the time, I gotta look into that). They ran through some originals (I really liked Leftovers for Dogs) and did a good job on their two Bowie covers (Queen Bitch, Starman). Reminded me of Dig Me Out-era Sleater-Kinney with a dash of Breeders thrown in for good measure. Their vocals seemed to be a bit loud at times, but I’m not sure if they soundchecked. Other than that and being a tad late, I thought they were tight…like their outfits (sorry, couldn’t resist that lame cheeseball line).

Plastic Cultures featuring MC Last Halo (I couldn’t find anything on the web to link to) was up next, and to be quite honest I wasn’t sure what to expect when their guitarist announced that they would be playing “live original material + Bowie mash-ups”…uh-oh. I’m okay with mash-ups when I’m at a dance club and a DJ is at command, but regardless; it has to be done right. Just slamming two songs together is not the answer, so I was weary of what I was about to hear. Plastic Cultures consisted of two dudes on laptops, and a guitarist, a beat machine and MC Last Halo. I appreciate the different approach, but I don’t think it was working for me. The MC seemed a little uncomfortable on stage and the beatwork was not enough to capture my attention. I stuck around for a couple of songs,  heard a couple of the  Bowie “covers” vaguely peeking through every once in a while, but didn’t feel they were being much of a “tribute” since they were sandwiched and buried among their originals, which consisted of loops and guitar riffs…not what I came to listen to.  I ran into a couple of friends who were on the way out to the patio for some fresh air and I decided to join them, if Plastic Cultures had a trick up their sleeve, I definitely missed it.

After catching up out on the patio and wandering back in, I noticed the atmosphere inside had slightly changed…it got a little weirder. A bearded fellow on stilts greeted me from above, a juggler was doing his thing off in a corner and a guy was transfixed on snaking his arms around, a crystal ball gliding from one hand to another. Armada! was taking the stage. I’ve never heard of these guys but once they assembled before us, I knew they got the memo…they were here to celebrate  Ziggy Stardust, make no mistake about it. Their lead singer Andrew was completely decked out in silver glitter platform boots, spandex body suit, crazy makeup, red wig (or was that your real hair?) and a glittery cape with what seemed to be a two foot collar…the dude was definitely looking the part. The rest of the band was right there with him, sporting eyepatches, more spandex and more makeup. They blasted through perfect renditions of Rebel Rebel, and a proper mash-up that combined Space Oddity & Ashes to Ashes with Peter Schilling’s Major Tom (Coming Home), which was clever and done right. The highlight was when they performed Under Pressure, the unforgettable collaboration between Bowie and Queen. Dividing the vocal duties between Andrew and Brian Blitzkrieg (keyboards)…it fucking worked. I was surprised that Andrew was able to hit those famous high notes, I even congratulated him after the set when I introduced myself and got a handful of glitter dust as a result of our handshake, and if that’s not playing the part,  I don’t know what is.

Next up was Fuck Yeah!(again, no linkage here, sorry) and I’m not sure how they were gonna follow Armada’s set, but it was time to find out. Unfortunately, due to the show running a little late,  the crowd was starting to thin out a bit. They hurried onstage in order to play to as many ears as possible and started their set. They knocked out my favorite Bowie song The Man Who Sold the World  right off the top of the set and did not disappoint. Their set included nothing but classics like Let’s Dance, Ziggy Stardust and a surprise unexpected song: Dance Magic Dance. Yes, the song from Labyrinth, yeah, the one featuring Bowie singing to a bunch of Muppets. It was a fun choice, I thought. They wrapped it up with I’m Afraid of Americans, but not just any old regular version of it. This one was accompanied by a young lady decked out in army fatigues and a machine gun, totally grinding and being badass on stage. As the song went on, the clothes came off and we were left with a topless woman and a machine gun crawling around while the crowd screamed along with the chorus of  “I’m afraid of Americans!”, pretty fitting…tits, guns, military, beer and rock and roll. It took a British androgynous man’s music to bring out the America in us, and this is our way of saying thank you…with tits. Can someone say “America! Fuck Yeah!”? Indeed.  And coincidentally, what was the name of this group? Exactly. Pretty fuckin’ Awesome.

Apollo Brown’s beats have no boundaries, clearly witnessed as the amazingly talented soul artist Ayah has called upon his production talents for a remix to the latest single off her recent album, 4:15. Unlike the rapper-filled tracks on Apollo’s debut album, The Reset, “4:15 (Apollo Brown Reprise)” is strictly a soul jam. Set at 4:15 in the morning, the song has Ayah asserting her discontent for a lover’s negligence, over a smoothed-out, mellow instrumental crafted by the Detroit up-and-comer. Introduced by the steady crackle of vinyl, Ayah puts her foot down on this one, with lines like, “I’m tired of the way you been livin’/ I’m tired of the weight you ain’t liftin’.” Though the pleasantly addicting beat may sound soft, Ayah’s words are certainly not; she’s fed up and she’s had enough. The song not only reveals both the pain and strength of any woman who has been wronged, but also gives us another taste of Apollo Brown’s versatility.

Check it Out:

Ayah-415 Apollo Brown “Reprise”

More from Apollo Brown:

“Seasons” feat. Stik Figa

“Balance” feat. Kenn Starr and John Robinson

“Odds Ain’t Fair” feat. Hassaan Mackey

“Hungry” feat. Rapper Big Pooh and Black Milk

Bio, pictures, and streams available here:
Apollo Brown on Audible Treats

Twitter:
@ApolloBrown

Label Site:
Mello Music Group

Actually… One of the ones we’re working on has to do with all of you. All of the 305 Hip-Hop family. If you are (or know) and artist that would like to be featured on one of the many up and coming “Miami Locals ONLY Antisteez Podcasts” go ahead and drop me a line. Guilletine and I already promoted it a bit and have a few songs we’re thinking about using, but the more the merrier.

It’s all about you, Miami!

Enjoy the listen.

DOWNLOAD LINK: Podcast082410: Mixed by Guilletine (Right Click + Save As…)
[See post to listen to audio]

Tracklisting:
01. Jeru the Damaja – Scientific Madness
02. Large Professor – The mad Scientist
03. Gang Starr ft. Big Shug & Freddie Foxxx – The Militia
04. Emilio Rojas – One Shot Disarms
05. King Syze ft. Outerspace -Sybling Rivarly
06. K. Sparks ft. Julius francis – Sunshine
07. J Cole – Get Away
08. Gang Starr ft. Krumb Snatcha – Make ‘Em Pay
09. Blu & Exile – The Narrow Path
10. Nas – The World is Yours
11. Jay Z – Where Im From
12. Mobb Deep – Shook Ones pt.1
13. Big Pun – My World
14. Kenn Starr ft. Asheru & Talib Kweli – If
15. Marco Polo ft. Copywrite – Get Busy
16. Common – The 6th Sense
17. Elzhi – Its Your World

Showed everyone the preview reel the other day and got some nice feedback from it. Here’s the official video for Serums Brainstorm Troopah. Enjoy it and support the local scene buy purchasing the actual album.

Click on link below to order a CD from Ughh.com:
Serum “Brainstorm Troopah”

For all you Eric Clapton fans out there be on the lookout for his latest album next month entitled, “Clapton”

The Tracklisting:

1. “Travelin’ Alone”
2. “Rocking Chair”
3. “River Runs Deep”
4. “Judgement Day”
5. “How Deep is the Ocean”
6. “My Very Good Friend the Milkman”
7. “Can’t Hold Out Much Longer”
8. “That’s No Way to Get Along”
9. “Everything Will Be Alright”
10. “Diamonds Made from Rain”
11. “When Somebody Thinks You’re Wonderful”
12. “Hard Times Blues”
13. “Run Back To Your Side”
14. “Autumn Leaves”

Source(s):

Gibson.com

Video directed and edited by: Brandon “n2ition” Riley

More music available at: myspace.com/parablemc

Lyrics by: Parable
Produced by: Sharpsound
Version 2.0 features DJ I-Dee

Miami’s very own Godfather of Hip-Hop is at it again. Check this preview reel out for Brainstorm Troopah by Serum. Can’t wait for that final video.