Date: 07/31/2008 - 08/01/2008 Time: 09:00 pm - 01:00 am
The Chelsea Art Museum – Home of the Miotte Foundation – is proud to present, Rapalicious! Following hot on the heels of the highly successful Summer Soiree I -Great Gatsby Party, Rapalicious! will bring together some of the hottest international rap and dub stars! From the emerging talents in the group Pretty Boy Family, to established big wigs like Polo from La Famiglia and 77’Klash. This evening promises to be one to remember! Mark your calendars and polish your dancing shoes because, THERE WILL BE DANCING!
Pretty Boy Family is one of the best up and coming rap groups out of Brooklyn, New York. The three band members are all first cousins (hence the name Pretty Boy Family). The name was given to them because of their flashy dress code born out of a childhood of growing up in Trinidad and Tobago. They moved to Brooklyn at a very young age, grew up on hiphop, reggae and soca music from artists such a Biggie, Tupac, Bob Marley, Junior Reed and Wu Tang Clan. They moved around a bit; spent two years in the Bronx then to Bushwick, where they were introduced to street life. Most of P.B.F’s music is of stories from the streets of Brooklyn. For the past four years P.B.F have been perfecting their craft, recording and performing at various shows around New York City. In 2007 they decided not to wait for a big label to sign them in order to put an album out, so with the help of producers such as Tyreek, B-don and P.B.F’s very own BIZZY (and other various artists from Bushwick,) the album entitled THE COMMISSION was made. This album was haled an underground classic. A combination off hard knocking beats, hard core lyrics, a soft side for the ladies, party songs and one for the Caribbean massive, some say this is what Hip Hop needs to stay alive.
Polo (aka Alberto Cretara,) began spray painting in 1988 and his pieces covered the walls of his Napoli. At the same time he became involved in rap, collaborating with the groups A.M.N.K. ('Muto/Gardati intorno') and 100% Posse ('Domani è un nuovo giorno'). Polo soon distanced himself from the political themes that characterized rap Italiano in the era of the posses.
La Famiglia, the Neapolitan group that resulted from the meeting of Polo and Sha-One (aka Paolo Romano) who became interested in hip hop in the early 1980s, forming a break dance crew in Naples, and becoming an accomplished and respected aerosol artist. Soon afterwards Sha-One, also known as Shangai, began composing his first rap lyrics in Neapolitan.
La Famiglia's third member is D.J. Simi (aka Simone Cavagnuolo) who first discovered Hip Hop in 1985 at the age of 13. He brings his creative and technical skills on the turntables to the group after DJing in major venues throughout Europe. Their first album is entitled '41° Parallelo,' the geographic reference point for both Napoli and New York, two different cities that nonetheless share a vitality, spontaneity, and creativity that taps the energy of everyday street life. Together the three seek to promote what it considers Hip Hop's 'true message - LOVE, PEACE, AND FRATERNITY,' which is echoed in the group's name - The Family.
77'Klash (aka Gize Burroughs) is responsible for one of the wickedest riddims in years, the unique, drum and bass-tinged Skallawa-- check Turbulance's 'Notorious' for proof-- 77klash has a knack for crafting tunes that run di place pretty much everywhere. 'Notorious' was huge in Jamaica, went number one in the UK, and was also a favorite of Radiohead, who kicked off shows with the track on their last tour. And 'Brooklyn Anthem' (which lives up to its name) had as much success on dancefloors in the UK as it did over here. The Brooklyn-based Jamaican-born Mikkel 'Gize' Burrowes brings together more than just JA and the U.S.A. His tracks mash up dancehall and hip-hop, but there's also a bit of grime and a very rock'n'roll element. 'Code for the Streets' is emblematic of this mixture-- and what sounds like a touch of the Clash is just right.
$30 cover includes museum admission, party and 3 free drinks.
