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Tonight: Afrika Bambaataa

April 25, 2015

Legendary DJ Afrika Bambaataa is making his debut performance in the Queen City tonight at Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar. While the South Bronx DJ has scarcely a popular hit to his name, his fusions of hip-hop, funk and electro house made him one of the most ground-breaking DJs of the early 80s. Bambaataa (real name: Kevin Donovan) is widely as an originator of breakbeat DJing and electro-funk, and is widely referred to as the “Godfather of Hip-Hop” (not to be confused with the Doggfather – Snoop). His classic tracks include such old-school hip-hop staples as “Jazzy Sensation,” “Planet Rock” and of course, “Renegades of Funk” (which 90s babies may remember for its excellent funk-metal cover by Rage Against the Machine in 2000). But Bambaataa’s influence has largely overshadowed his relatively obscure hip-hop funk classics. Among his legacy is the Universal Zulu Nation – a hip-hop awareness group that helped spread[...]

Tonight: DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist

November 11, 2014

Once upon a time too long ago DJ’s used turntables to maximize flow, records were heard and no one stood; dancing was better and the music was good. There was a young DJ who was misled; he thought a laptop playlist could make him bread. When DJ’s stop creating and start pushing buttons both metaphorically and on Serato, the art of actual turntablism is lost, but tonight in Buffalo, two of the genre’s greatest combine forces to rep the music of yet another musical innovator. Presented by MNM, a local promotion company with global reach, this stop on the Renegades of Rhythm tour is easily one of the best shows to hit Buffalo all year(s). When two of the best in the game come together to celebrate the work of  Afrika Bambaataa (aka Kevin Donovan) you don’t sleep on it. Genre-shaping hip-hop electro legend and founder of the Universal Zulu[...]

Just Announced: DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist

September 17, 2014

After a few weeks of rumors, local promoter, Mike T. Marshall, just confirmed on his facebook page that influential DJ/producer, DJ Shadow, will be playing the Town Ballroom on Tuesday, November 11th along with Cut Chemist. Born as Joshua Davis and referred to as the “Jimi Hendrix of sampling,” Shadow is best known for his genre defining, debut release Endtroducing…, and for the development of the experimental instrumental hip hop scene. The two DJs will be in town for the vinyl-only, Renegades of Rhythm tour, honoring Afrika Bambaataa. I am not much of a DJ guy, but even I know this is a big one. Tickets are on sale right now for $27.50 in advance, $30 day of. I am guessing this show never reaches that day of price so buy your tickets now.