CJLO Brings The Heat

Photo by Jacob Whitaker


The real hip hop is ova' here.

We all know 95% of Montreal radio gets the bozack. Some mathematicians have even speculated that 97.2 % is a more accurate figure.

While Astral Media-owned stations and the like continue to find ways to play Black Eyed Peas and Akon while completely ignoring the rest of the culture they jack, Concordia radio has the freedom to play hip hop without regard for what your little sister likes.

So, in schedule order from Sunday to Saturday, here's the run-down of rap music at CJLO.

Eclectricity*
North Of The Border
The Reign
Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em*
Underground Spiritual
What's Really Good? Radio
12" Satisfaction*
Phantastiq Cypha*
The Limelight*

*100-hundred-percent Bombsheltah approved. Listening pending for the others.

I haven't heard all these shows, but check their playlists to see if they're for you. For that matter, get your head outta wherever you keep it and listen to something other than hip hop for a change. There's tons of dope shows, like this one. It's hosted by a pretty girl and even though it's listed as a rock show shorty just played ODB. This station is whassup.

Prodigy Drives To Jail

The P: Poster Child For The American Way


I gotta put up a link to this video, in light of the last post I put up.

Here's Prodigy driving himself to jail.

This shit is kind of sad. It probably seems like I think The P is jokes but that's far from the truth. I'm just a dick. I love this fool.

Prodigy Blogs From Rikers

Prodigy of Mobb Deep began a new celebrity blog for Vibe.com yesterday. He'll apparently be posting from prison while also finishing his autobiography.

In jail on a three-and-a-half year bid for gun possesion, Prodigy has some time to kill, and is opting for a G5 instead of a .45. Actually, the way Mobb Deep records have sold for the past decade or so, he's probably using an Acer.

It looks like it's gonna basically be full of piss and vinegar. I hate to get joy from another man's sorrow but I gotta see how long it takes before he completely fucking rips 50 and G-Unit. And then after that, it'll be fun to see how long he bothers keeping it up at all.

I'm pretty sure I'll get my answers within the week.

I also don't know what to think about this threatened autobiography. On one hand I feel like that's a trainwreck I'd stop to watch, but after reading one page of The P's blog I'm not sure I'd make it past the forward. He'll be needing a good copy editor. Holla.


Here's Mobb Deep in better times.

The Roots & Erykah Badu - May 6th

Erykah Badu pictured with Kamal of The Roots.Thanks to WonderWyze for the picture.

This is pretty nice. Tuesday, May 6th the Old Port of Montreal will harbor The Roots and Erykah Badu as they stop through Quai Jacques Cartier for a hot double bill.

G.O.D. willin' we'll have some seasonal weather to accompany the show, but I'll settle for just being outside. Honestly, if this were just Erykah I don't know if I'd be so geeked about it, but something about a double-header with The Legendary Roots Crew makes the whole ticket well worth the $50 admission.

Badu is promoting the release of her latest record New Amerykah Part One. The Roots drop a new one, Rising Down, on April 29th.


I didn't see the Roots last stop in Montreal last fall, so this will by my first time seeing them without bassist Hub, who left the group last August. I feel like his absence might leave a bit of a void in the live experience. Do me a favor, Roots. Fill the gap with Malik B and Dice Raw on this one.

Other than all that, I just can't wait to get drunk outdoors. Also I'm kinda hoping Badu's wig blows off like it did in Block Party.

I Wish My Brother George Was Here

G & Me, early '07

My homie George went out west last summer to partake of the milk of Alberta's flowing teet. Aside from being a talented and creative illustrator, he's a true humanitarian and a person I'm extremely lucky to have as a friend. I'm kind of just dropping this as a tribute post to him, to say whassup. We grew up together, got in trouble together, hosted radio together and have had many, many laughs.


In terms of hip hop, George got me back into to rap music at a good time. After a childhood infatuation with hip hop, I spent most of my teenage years just not identifying with much of it. Some of mine and Geo's earliest common ground in terms of music were Public Enemy, Beastie Boys and Led Zep, but we definitely diverged at some point. I loved Ice T and he loved Del. I loved DK, he loved Goldie. Neither of us ever loved Tag Team, to our credit.

One time in CEGEP, at a typically toxin-fueled Tuesday night house party at a friend's, Geo played me Splattitorium and Runnin' from The Pharcyde, and I started to take his advice on hip hop fairly seriously around that point.

Check out this wicked link I got off his blog, all kinds of info about this famous drum sample as it pertains to the Golden Ratio. That's the kind of dope shit this man has running through his head most of the time.


I'm taking this opportunity to list a number of things G has put me on to. I'd go so far as to say that Geo has helped shape who I am and what I take out and put into the world. That's what good friends do, it's to be hoped. If it weren't for him I'd probably be a roadie for GrimSkunk or something.


In no particular order, here's a bunch of random shit G has gotten me into over the years:

Steel Pulse
Philip K. Dick
Black Star
House
Wendy's v. other fast food chains
Def Jux
Ralph Steadman
The (original) OfficeThe Internet
Coca Cola Zero
Trailer Park Boys
R.Crumb
Jay Electronica
Blu & Exile
Nilufar


Much love man. Get back here soon.

Are The Wu Comin' Thru?

The Wu: Consummate Pros Photo by london_jimenez


NYC's notoriously disorganized Wu-Tang Clan are slated for an
April 21st appearance at Metropolis. The promoters, Gillett Entertainment Group and Greenland, are not fly-by-night operations by any means. The show has been well promoted and I know first-hand that tickets have been selling.

The question on a lot of people's minds, though, is whether or not the Clan will honour the Montreal date. So far both promoters websites still have the show listed.

Over the years, the Wu have missed a show or two, to be sure. Solo acts from the group have played Montreal dates, and to my knowledge the events have gone off, though please fill me in if you know otherwise.

A Facebook notice I read today called into question whether or not the show will go on. Frankly I haven't been paying attention to what's been happening in other cities, but this made me do some searching.

This message board has a number of naysayers, though someone claiming to be a promoter stated on the official Facebook event group page that the show is going down. This was shortly after 12 AM this morning.

This page, supposedly the RZA's official booking agent's MySpace blog, says that the tour is pushed back and only four scheduled dates in the US are going ahead as planned.

I have no answers. I have a ticket, but no answers.

What do you think? Are we gonna get the muthafuckin' ruckus up here in April or not?

I'll keep you posted. Or you can keep me posted. Whatever happens first.

It's too bad if it gets nixed because I really wanted to show Pretty Tony I bought Big Doe Rehab and "have a pow-wow" with him. I still love you, Ghost.

Welcome Back, Jesus

Photo courtesy of these people

Happy Easter and good spring to you. Here at the Bombsheltah, we're all just a little worried that end times are upon us. Easter is in the middle of winter and I think my cat just barked. Repent thy sins.

In an effort to shine a little light on us all, though, I sat down and more or less randomly chose 11 songs that might bring warmth to those of you burning the final embers of your sanity this winter. Songs I think sprout some of that fresh grass to replace the frozen sod of our souls.

Here they are.

Digable Planets - Where I'm From
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Big Daddy Kane - The Garden
dead prez - Happiness
Micranots - Heat
J-Live - The Best Part
DM & Jemini - The Only One
LL Cool J - Get Down
Cage - Perfect World
MIA - Sunshowers
De La Soul ft. Butta Verses - No
Atmosphere- Sunshine

Mother Dre Gets Blunt

I think it's fair to say that Dr. Dre is the greatest roll model of all time. This touching story from the New York Post's Page Six reminds us of a fact oft-forgotten about Dre.

When the teenaged gangsta-to-be had to step up and do the right thing, he went large. He turned his experiences with drugs, violence, prostitution and firearms into a multi-platinum, award winning music career.


His mom is so proud of him that she's writing a book about her dear son the Doctor.

I think that's amazing. How many mothers would put their embarassing stories about their famous kids on the line for the sake of a few bucks...uh, I mean, books?

Dre, just please make with Detox before the biopic gets produced.

O'Hooligans

Sunday, March 16, 2008. St. Catherine street, Montreal, post-St.Patrick's Day parade. Photo by me.

I think the photo says it all.

I had to work through this year's parade, which ordinarily is like Christmas to me and my family. On the upside, I was downtown and got to view the parade's aftermath through sober eyes for the first time since adolesence. It occurs to me that St. Pat's is Mardi Gras for WASPs, with pipes and jigs instead of jazz and orgies.

So what does St. Paddy's have to do with hip hop, besides some similarities in terms of gaudy dress and headwear?

Nothing at all, but I do have to mention this: hardcore thugs at the parade make me laugh every year.

You know who I mean. They huddle up along the St. Cat's storefronts, trying to hide their beers in their jackets while glancing around furitively, just waiting for someone to step. Meanwhile me Irish mum is wearing one of those beer hats and Auntie Maureen is doing shots of Jameson out of a little green plastic tumbler hanging on beads around her neck.

Don't the homies notice that there are about 1000 cops standing around, not giving a damn?

For three hours, thugs, would you just be Irish?

You can go back to being sketchy again right after, I swear.

KRS-One Podcast

It is with great and humble pride that I present to you The Bombsheltah's first ever podcast. Download it ova' here.

This is a compilation of clips from KRS-One's performance Sunday
March 9, 2008, at Le National theatre in Montreal.

Despite being dumped on by a foot-and-a-half of snow in the 48 hours leading up to the show - and the fear that The Teacha wouldn't be able to make it as a result - energetic Montreal heads made it out on a Sunday night, en masse.

The sold-out show provided a rare opportunity to see this hip hop legend in action, and as you'll see, KRS still brings the ruckus better than most emcees half his age. Since the kind of loose theme of this blog is "too old for hip hop", I thought it was worth showing that a dude in his forties can still get live. Hope you enjoy it.

My Money And My Mouth

Photo by me

A couple of weeks back I did a post about local graffiti writer Castro, and how a local anglo daily called him out. At the time I was griping that they hadn't run flicks of any of his stuff, but I didn't have any, either.

Luckily, I was caught in traffic on the Ville Marie this weekend and had time to take some snaps of Castro's work over the exit for De La Montangne.


It's not that this is bad or good or ultimately worth posting, one way or the other. Just, not putting up a picture myself has been bugging me since. I kinda dumped on the dude's style in my first post. Since then I've seen what seems like more and more throw-ups along the 20, and I gotta say a couple are decent.

Somehow it's just good to see him again. His shit is like comfort graffiti or something. Now if only Fase6 would return...

Atmosphere: Life, Lemons and Leakage

Photo by: Glass Slipper Gourmet

Okay, I’ve been completely lazy this week.

Actually, that’s false, but blogwise I’m collecting dust. At any rate, just a quick word about two guys that don’t know the meaning of lazy, at least when it comes to getting their music out.

Say what you will about Twin Cities duo Atmosphere, you can’t fuck with their work ethic. A dozen tours in half as many years, consistent output of LPs, EPs and side projects, and now a weekly YouTube show hosted by Slug and Ant. Admittedly I’m a fan, but you can’t knock the hustle even if you hate their music.


Basically, in these segments,they sit at someone’s basement bar answering viewer mail in a back-and-forth interview format that burns 10 minutes up pretty nicely. Ant brings a Hollywood cool to balance out Slug’s Appalachian hillbilly swagger, both bringing it home to roost with their Midwestern folksiness. It’s pretty much comedy.

Their new LP, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, drops April 22. Here’s a rundown of the campaign trail so far:


- Three new installments of the Sad Clown teaser EP series, with a
fourth due any second now.

- A free online full-length album, “Strictly Leakage”

- The YouTube show

- The leak of "Shoulda Known", the first single from Lemons

- A sold-out pre-order deal" that includes a limited edition copy of the new CD


Also, between now and the end of ’09 expect them to have moved to your city and been over for Sunday dinner at Grandma’s.