Blog: Government Names

Tonight I'm going to be a guest on Strictly Hip Hop for the first installment of a 2-part panel discussion about the greatest MCs of all time. If you're in the Baltimore area, tune in to 88.9 FM between midnight and 5am, or listen online .

I wrote about Baltimore rapper Caddy Da Don's new version of his single "Cookamonga" with Atlanta rapper Future for the City Paper Noise blog .

I wrote about a couple new DJ Class songs for the Baltimore City Paper's Noise blog .

I contributed to the Baltimore City Paper's annual Top Ten issue as usual this year. In The Year In Music I wrote blurbs for Mullyman, White Life and Celebration. I was also one of the many voters for The Year In Music , although I wrote no blurbs and the only album I voted for that made the top 10 was Beyonce (my ballot as submitted on the CP site is slightly different from the 'final' top albums of the year list I finished posting on my blog a couple weeks later, since [...]

My birthday is on January 6th, and I rarely have a big birthday party, I think largely because everyone, including myself, tends to be kind of partied out after the holidays and New Year's Eve. But I'm turning 30 this time around, so the weekend of my birthday, on Saturday, January 7th, 2012, I will be having a big old birthday bash at one of my favorite clubs in Baltimore, The Windup Space . There will be music from two great Baltimore acts, the hip hop band Soul Cannon and the instrumental duo The Water , [...]

Last Monday when DatPiff.com premiered the new Los mixtape The Crown Ain't Safe , hosted by DJ Ill Will and DJ Drama, I was one of the first to listen to the mixtape and liveblogged my reactions for the Baltimore City Paper's Noise blog .

I wrote about Rome Cee's new single "Black Ring" on the City Paper's Noise blog .

This weekend the American Studies Association will be hosting the 2011 ASA conference in Baltimore on October 20-23. I've been invited to speak about Baltimore club music, and on Saturday at 10am at the Baltimore Hilton, I'll be giving a presentation with the first public airing of some of the research and interview material from the book I'm writing, Tough Breaks: The Story of Baltimore club Music .

I wrote a post for the City Paper's Noise blog about Baltimore's Reina Williams appearing on TV's "The X-Factor" last week, including a video of her segment on the show.

Respect Magazine recently interviewed me about the book I'm writing, Tough Breaks: The Story of Baltimore Club Music .

I wrote about Skarr Akbar and DJ Jabril's The Beautiful Mind: Block Work Bootleg for the City Paper's Noise blog .

The City Paper's 2011 Best of Baltimore issue is out this week, and as usual I helped pick out a few winners and write blurbs about them: Best Chinese: Lucky Fortune Best Summer Jam: "Snobaltimore" by Jumbled Best Band Web Site: celebrationelectrictarot.com Best MC: The Boy Blesst Best Hip-Hop DJ: DJ Booman Best Beatmaker: Tom Delay Best Club Music DJ: DJ Mike Crosby (photo by [...]

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This week in the City Paper , I profiled the two Baltimore-based co-founders of the Riot Folk collective , Ryan Harvey and Mark Gunnery (who also records hip hop under the name Aryeh Gonif). (photo by Christopher Myers)

Tayland Promotions is putting on a benefit show at Sonar this Thursday for the family of Baltimore rapper Yuk, and I wrote a post on the City Paper's Noise blog about the show and the unfortunate circumstances of Yuk and his family that the benefit is being held because of. Yuk, Comp, KG and others will be performing at the show, go check it out if you can.

I wrote a feature on Caddy Da Don in this week's Baltimore City Paper. (photo by Rarah)

Three years ago this Thursday, the Club Queen K-Swift passed away, and since people in Baltimore think about her every day and some are still writing songs about her, I wrote a post on the City Paper Noise blog about three recent tribute tracks by Isaac Stalk, EJ and Comp. K-Swift forever!

This week the Baltimore City Paper publishes its annual Big Music Issue , and my story in it, Knights of the Round Robin , is about the 5th annual All Rap Round Robin that will be taking place on August 19th at Floristree. I attended the show the last two years and am really excited about the additions to this year's lineup, could be their best yet. For the story I spoke to Height, OOH, Jones, Mickey Free, The Plural MC, King Rhythm and members of Soul Cannon, Mania Music Group, Disturbed Individuals and [...]

I reviewed Soul Cannon's new album The Mixed Ape for the July issue of Urbanite Magazine .

I wrote a post on the City Paper's Noise blog about the exciting lineup that was just announced for the 5th Annual All Rap Round Robin happening in Baltimore in August.