shunda k: what is love + afterparties

dl: SHUNDA K of YO! MAJESTY f/ ROSETTA STONED - What Is Love (alt)

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I've seen Shunda K of Yo! Majesty perform at least three times within the past year, and she seems to improve and become more comfortable with the stage every time. It's not as if she wasn't an amazing performer from the beginning, though I noticed some new shine the last time I saw her at Santos Party House. It may have something to do with the fact that her fiancé was present in the venue, as this was the first time I could practically see the love in the room---the love for the music, for the fans, for life and the list goes on. And I don't know about you, but I want to see that love dispersed nationally, globally and universally. Martians get down!

Wanna help spread the love? Shunda's looking for venues that can hold 150-200 peeps to set up after-parties for every Yo! Majesty show. Whether you're a promoter, club-owner or just a regular Joe who happens to be in the know, send an e-mail to shundak@gmeqca.com if you have any leads or could help at all. Dates and locations can be found on myspace but here's a short list of locations:

• Australia: Phillip Island - Sydney - Melbourne
• Belgium: Brussels
• Denmark: Copenhagen
• France: Paris - Robaix - Strasbourg - Nantes
• Germany: Berlin
• Netherlands: Amsterdam - Rotterdam
• Norway: Oslo
• Sweden: Malmo - Stockholm
• Switzerland: St. Gallen - Zurich - Geneva - Berne
• UK: Newcastle - Leeds - Sheffield - London - Bristol - Brighton - Wolverhampton - Liverpool - Manchester - Edinburgh - Glasgow - Nottingham - Dublin
• USA: Austin, TX - Denton, TX - Houston, TX - New Orleans, LA - Miami, FL - Orlando, FL - Atlanta, GA - Raleigh, NC - Washington DC - Philadelphia, PA - New York, NY - Boston, MA - Pittsburgh, PA - Detroit, MI - Chicago, IL - Minneapolis, MN - Milwaukee, WI - Iowa City, IO - Denver, CO - Salt Lake City, UT - Seattle, WA - Portland, OR - San Francisco, CA - Los Angeles, CA - San Diego, CA

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- SPACE IT - HYPE IT -

benni e: la di da di rock da party.

dl: BENNI E. - Take These Girls To Church (Z)

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I try to stay away from metablogging about the status of this blog, but an unannounced September hiatus was necessary in the ITMS!! universe. Sorry yall, now we're back...

You may remember Philadelphia rapper Benni E. from a lil ol' post I wrote in April, and now she's gearing up for her NYC debut tomorrow night at the Original Sessions Art House (17 John Street, between Broadway & Nassau). She'll be on at 10PM as part of the band/DJ series La di Da di Rock da Party, hosted by Shunda K of Yo Majesty. This week's party will be a listening session for Yo Majesty's Futuristically Speaking...Never Be Afraid, featuring an eclectic set of performers-- Benni, Old Money Crew, The Vanguard, and Elza. The October 11th line-up is not something to miss with Leif , Bunny Rabbit + Black Cracker, Boy Crisis, Tha Pumpsta, Black Peter Group, Living Days, Stay High, and Leb Laze.

But forget about the party! Well, don't forget about it...go to it. Let's pay attention to the audio in this post. "Take These Girls To Church", affectionately known as "Girls 2 Church", is a cut from Benni E.'s debut mixtape Microphone Influenza. Unlike "Call Me Daddy" or any of the songs you may have heard on I Wanna Fuck Dirty Harry or terf- work, Benni's flow on this track departs from her usual hard-edged faster flow to deliver us from evil in a sing-songy manner. It's a perfect blend of critical, political, and playful. When I saw Benni open for Yo Majesty and Does It Offend You, Yeah? at Johnny Brenda's, the crowd broke out into some church-inspired dances, spinning in circles with their hands in the air testifying. Swagger, charisma...whatever you want to call it. Benni's got it. She's been recording some incredible new material, and I've heard rumors of a new mixtape being in the works. YESSS.

Oh, and remember that time I erroneously posted DJ Orion's remix of Yo Majesty's "Booty Clap" as the original? The tune, actually produced by Basement Jaxx, has been making the rounds lately. Check it below if you haven't already. Reminder: Futuristically Speaking...Never Be Afraid, the debut full-length of Yo Majesty, is now streaming on the space. I'm proud of the girls for finally getting that album out, though a little sad about some tracks that became casualties along the way.

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BONER TRACK: YO MAJESTY - Booty Clap (Z)

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- SPACE IT -

dj orion: yo majesty remix.

dl: YO MAJESTY - Booty Clap (DJ Orion remix) (YSI)
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The following comment was left by DJ Orion on my post about Yo Majesty's "Booty Clap"--"this is my remix, the basement jaxx track is different. holler at your home boy." Oops, oh my! Oodles of love to you DJ Orion, and apologies for the mistake on my part. I guess we'll just have to wait for the Basement Jaxx version, and if waiting means we must keep listening to your version...then I'm not complaining.

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BONER TRACK: SHUNDA K of YO MAJESTY f/ GHETTO C - Beat It (YSI)
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- SITE IT - SPACE IT / SITE IT - SPACE IT - WIK IT - HYPE IT -

yo majesty: booty clap.

dl: YO MAJESTY - Booty Clap (produced by Basement Jaxx) (YSI)
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I don't know if Nate Chinen is lying or if this is a remix by DJ Orion, but I'm almost positive that this is the long-awaited collaboration between Yo Majesty and Basement Jaxx. If almost positive isn't enough for you, let me tell you that I'm certain that this is the best thing Yo Maj has done since "Kryptonite Pussy". Also, I have now obtained Shunda K's business card.

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- SITE IT - SPACE IT - WIK IT - HYPE IT -

BLOGGER NOTE: Yo Majesty's wikipedia page deserves a spot on The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks. They toured with "CSS" and "The Gossip".

kudu: and the night i almost got hit by a truck.

KUDU reminds me of the craziest night of my summer.*

I headed to Home Sweet Home for the Hell Yup DJ set. Because I didn't really know anyone there other than the DJs themselves, I proceeded to consume way too many Blue Moons.

You can probably see where this is going. Well, actually...you probably couldn't.

So I head out the door for a minute, return to the bar, and as I'm heading out the door I run into this theater-girl from college that I knew. I sit at the bar and buy her a drink. I'm pretty sure that I say "Fergie is the voice of our generation" at some point in our conversation. However, this is one of few things I remember from our conversation.

Eventually she leaves and the Hell Yup kids are like, "Hey, want to go to this other party?" I am drunk, so I obviously say yes. I get into a cab, next thing I remember is getting out and going into a very crowded bar. I dislike crowds when I'm very drunk, but I didn't know what else to do with myself...so I kept walking. As I head to the back of the bar, my friend taps me on the shoulder and is like, "Dude, that's Yo Majesty** right there." I look. Sure enough, Yo Majesty is literally two feet away from me. They start walking and at some point two feet turns into two inches. I freeze. Holy shit.

I mean, what do you do when some of your favorite rappers are standing that close to you? Obviously, you talk to them!...But I didn't. I'd like to blame it on the alcohol and my general shyness***. In any case, we head outside for a moment. Across the street, the girls of Yo Majesty are hanging out with Naeem from Spank Rock under a streetlight. I am drunkenly standing with two friends as they talk to Sylvia, the lead singer of Kudu. She has a Darth Vader mask on, someone may have tried to grab her vagina, I decided she was totally incredible in the short time that I spent in her presence, and the next thing I remember is waking up on my friend's couch wondering whether that night actually happened. Apparently, on the way home...I almost got hit by a truck.

The worst part of this story isn't that I blacked out. Nor is it that I didn't holler at Yo Maj. Okay, I'm going to confess this...but please don't hate me-- I had never heard Kudu until the day after all this happened.

Perhaps you haven't heard Kudu either. And it's okay. You didn't drunkenly stand next to the lead-singer for a decent period of time on one random summer night. Also, if you haven't heard Kudu before...you're in luck! Because I wrote this post. Now, if you drunkenly run into Sylvia, you can be appropriately starstruck.

dl: KUDU - Playing House (YSI)
dl: KUDU - Suite Life (YSI)
(electrowonderfulsingerness)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

* In fact, this was one of few crazy nights of my summer. I'm a motherfuckin' hermit.
** You may recall that I'm obsessed with Yo Majesty.
*** read: awkwardness

bald eagle: we are clubstars.

BALD EAGLE, born Chris Baronner, may not have made it in time for the Yo Majesty remix competition, but his new "reheat" of Yo Majesty and Does It Offend You, Yeah? is just in time for their appearance in The New Yorker.

Baronner just released his first mixtape, The Wonderful World of Bald Eagle & Friends - Live In The Fuck Hut # 1, which has been gaining some popularity here on the internets. The mixtape features tunes performed or mixed by Cansei de Ser Sexy, The Rapture, Switch, Diplo, Basement Jaxx, Le Tigre, New Young Pony Club, The Bird and The Bee, Peaches, Flosstradamus, and many more. It also includes Baronner's own delicious blend of Spektrum and Hollywood Holt and a one-second long track by his new DJ/production project When The Eagle Met the Wolf with Mister Wolf.

"We Are Clubstars" wasn't ready in time for the mixtape, but now it's ready for your ears and I'm pretty sure those ears will be liking this. I've heard many mixes of "Club Action" and I wouldn't be recommending this if it sucked. Just sayin'. If you haven't already, be sure to capture the full Wonderful World mixtape on Bigstereo.

d/l: YO MAJESTY vs. DIOY,Y?- We Are Clubstars (Bald Eagle reheat) (YSI)
d/l: SPEKTRUM vs. HOLLYWOOD HOLT- Kinda Fresh Man (Bald Eagle reheat) (YSI)
(Two hip-hop/electro DJ blends)
- site it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: Important question. Why are you not listening to R. Kelly's "Sex Planet" right now? The wirewool has a post up about it. Be prepared for liftoff.

yo majesty: in this week's new yorker.

Critic’s Notebook
Three on a Match
by Sasha Frere-Jones May 28, 2007

The female hip-hop trio Yo Majesty, from Tampa, Florida, is composed of Shunda-K, Jwl. B, and Shon-B, who bill themselves as “the only openly lesbian rap group.” These days, hip-hop is an increasingly conservative genre, and Yo Majesty’s sexuality—along with their tendency to conclude their performances with some toplessness—will probably be discussed more than their music on the message boards and comment threads that form hip-hop’s online town square. Yo Majesty can take it—their music is a direct descendant of Miami bass, an unapologetically bawdy and rough-minded genre. The infamous 2 Live Crew—the most well-known practitioners of Miami bass—would probably respond to a song like “Kryptonite Pussy” (“Kryptonite” is a positive attribute in Yo Majesty’s world) with something equally filthy. But anybody who has a problem with Yo Majesty’s take on hip-hop will likely be greeted with a lively “Rub on my monkey!” Yo Majesty bring their high-energy, lowbrow rumpus to Irving Plaza on June 1. ♦

Illustration: MAXIMILIAN BODE

purple crush: air jared mix + kate bush cover.

PURPLE CRUSH is a Brooklyn duo composed of Isla Jones Cheadle and DJ Air Jared. You may remember them from their contribution to the Yo Majesty remix contest. You may be familiar with their tune "Shopping on the Dancefloor". No? Not ringing a bell?

Well it's never too late to learn. On Welcome 2 Emo-Club, their latest EP, the duo pushes out six synthy '80s-influenced jams that may change your life more than bedazzlers did (or still do). Gorilla Vs. Bear and fluo kids recently posted a huge highlight of the album, a driving party-ready remake of Kate Bush's 1985 hit song "Running Up The Hill". Thanks to the challenge from GVB's Chris, I am now running around my room doing interpretative bow and arrow dances to this song. Don't laugh. Once you hear it, you might not be able to resist doing the same. And you know you wish you could move like Kate Bush.

If "Running Up The Hill" doesn't get you going, perhaps Air Jared's remix of George Michael's "I Want Your Sex" will. You may have the urge to start dry-humping your keyboard. Perhaps.

d/l: PURPLE CRUSH- Running Up The Hill (Kate Bush cover) (YSI)
d/l: GEORGE MICHAEL- I Want Your Sex (Air Jared Filter Mix) (YSI)
(80s-charged dance party jams)
- buy it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: Nah Right brings us three new tracks from Lupe Fiasco. Berkeley Place tells us that Ben Gibbard apparently did Neil Young and Nirvana (probably at the same time). Pitchfork shouts the news that the upcoming album by the Go! Team will feature Rappers Delight Club, aka those rapping kids I posted about that one time.

YO MAJESTY REMIX CONTEST RESULTS!

• 1719 of you voted in the first IT'S THE MONEY SHOT!! remix/covers competition. I suppose it was no American Idol, but the fun is just starting folks.
  
• 19 remixes and 0 covers/reinterpretations were submitted.
• 1 lovely late-entry was submitted that didn't quite make it in time.
  

Stats aside, only one mix could win, and it is...

-- Club Action (By-Product mix)!!!

Congratulations to By-Product. We will be in contact with you about your "date with Yo Majesty". If things go well, there might even be a baby. I'm just sayin'. You got to think big with these types of dates.

Much love to the runner-ups, who will be receiving "a bumper fun Yo Majesty fan-pack".

-- Club Action (Sonic Boom Foundation mix)
-- Club Action (Cosmos Salini mix)

And please show some love for the late 20th entry...

-- Club Action (CinningBao mix)

This concludes the Yo Majesty remix/cover competition. For a full list of results, check here.

I will be gone for a minute, but please stay tuned to THE MONEY SHOT!! for future contests, wonderful tunes, and yumminess that will rival yo momma's chocolate chip cookies.

YO MAJESTY REMIXES

So, um, today is the day. Valentine's Day. How will you be celebrating? Obviously, you will be voting on which of these Yo Majesty remixes is the best. Oh, you didn't know?
You may download a zip file of all the tracks here (link removed), or download them individually (if you're lame).

• Club Action (TF's 1/2 ALIVE remix)-- 88 votes
  
• Club Action (GmD remix)-- 15 votes
  
• Club Action (Tetsuo's All Out Yo! remix)-- 47 votes
• Club Action (skrude up remix)-- 8 votes
• Club Action (Cosmos Salini remix)-- 254 votes
• Club Action (Turquoise Orange remix)-- 0 votes
• Club Action (We Have Love remix)-- 64 votes
• Club Action (The White Devil remix)-- 10 votes
• Club Action (By Product remix)-- 599 votes
• Club Action (White Girl Lust remix)-- 8 votes
• Club Action (That Tingling Feeling remix)-- 3 votes
• Club Action (Purple Crush remix)-- 11 votes
• Club Action (E6 remix)-- 0 votes
• Club Action (Dunk-Do-Mute remix)-- 1 vote
• Club Aktionist (Duran Duran Duran remix)-- 37 votes
• Club Action (Sonic Boom Foundation remix)-- 539 votes
  
• Kryptonite Pussy (Duran Duran Duran hardcore remix)-- 23 votes
• Kryptonite Pussy (Richie and the Browns remix)-- 7 votes
• Kryptonite Pussy (DJ 1982's remix)-- 5 votes
  

Voting will take place in the poll below (or here if you've been linked directly). Please let me know if any of the links aren't working!

Big thanks to hardfeelingsuk/freeformdisco 1, bigstereo, laptoprockers, stereogum, scary bunnies, dirty down, slutty fringe, indietastic, all of the DJs/musicians who entered, and all of the people who made this possible. Oh yeah, and thanks to Yo Majesty for letting this happen!

e6: yo majesty remix

download: YO MAJESTY- Club Action (E6 remix) (YSI)
(Remix of the best female hip-hop trio since Salt 'N' Pepa)
- site it - space it / buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

Today is the deadline for Yo Majesty remixes*. I'm pretty sure this isn't a submission, so I figured I could post it. We have some amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing things coming up for Valentine's Day. By we, I mean...me. And some DJs who made remixes. Also amazing: If you are in Chicago on March 1st, you can catch a live performance with Yo Majesty and E6. Oh, and a few bonus tracks just for good measure...

download: YO MAJESTY- Don't Fuck With Me (YSI)
download: YO MAJESTY- Kryptonite Pussy (YSI)

I posted both of these before..."Don't Fuck With Me" is an earlier song by Yo Majesty that you can find with a little browsing on the hardfeelingsuk/freeform disco 1 site. "Kryptonite Pussy" is obviously one of my favorite songs of all time. Do not attempt to doubt the genius.

yo majesty: remix/cover competition.

It's ON! Hardfeelingsuk/freeform disco 1 has teamed up with The Vanita Phone Company to bring you the first ever IT'S THE MONEYSHOT!! remix/cover contest.

Anyone is eligible to enter. We just want to hear your hottest remix, mash-up, cover, or re-interpretation of Yo Majesty's "Club Action". Bring it.

Hear the original track here or on their myspace.

DJs, or anyone else, are invited to bring the heat with their remix. Cop the acappella here or in Yo Majesty's blog on myspace. Your remix doesn't have to fill the floor of the club like the originals...just bring something new to the table. We want to see what you got...or if you got anything at all. Yeah, I went there. What are you going to do about it? I suggest that you make a mix and show me that you do, in fact, "got something".

Don't have the skills to mix? All other musicians--from classically trained clarinetist to self-trained kazoo master--are invited to submit an original composition inspired by "Club Action". Your lyrics do not have to match the original exactly, but it should be clear that it was inspired by it. Hell, your song doesn't even need to have lyrics.

WINNER RECEIVES: "a chance to go on a date with Yo Majesty, runners up receive a bumper fun Yo Majesty fan-pack" Sure, it's a relatively ambiguous prize, but you'll have bragging rights. That's what matters. There can be only ONE grand-prize winner. Is that YOU? I hope so. Losing isn't very fun.

Please send an mp3 file of your remix, mash-up, cover, or re-interpretation to... thephonecompanylovesyou (at) gmail.com:

Submissions are due by February 7th. Finalists will be chosen by a small panel of judges and revealed in a special Valentine's Day post, February 14th. The grand-prize winner will be decided by votes in the comments of the V-day post. Voting will be closed at midnight on February 28th, with the winner being announced the following day.

hardfeelingsuk: exclusive yo majesty mash-up

HARDFEELINGSUK (Freeform Disco 1) is composed of David Alexander and Richard Winstanley. They are mixing the full length LP of Yo Majesty, and David was the kind soul who allowed me to preview the new tracks.

However, if female rappers aren't your cup of tea perhaps you should aurally dive into "Chronic Happiness", a mellow electro-track featuring David's vocals. For those of you who are dangerously feeling Yo Majesty, he also created a fun techno mash-up of their track "Club Action". If you didn't think he was talented enough already, he is also the artist behind the image to the left. Props to him! You can check out more tracks produced by David and his collective at their site.

DOWNLOAD: YO MAJESTY- Club Action (Freeform Disco 1 Mash-up / Remix)
DOWNLOAD: YO MAJESTY- Club Action (original mix)

DOWNLOAD: FREEFORM DISCO 1- Chronic Happiness

BUY Yo Majesty/Freeform Disco 1 music at site

BLOGWATCH: You Ain't No Picasso brings us the 12 days of mixmas, featuring selections by members of Oh No! Oh My!, We Are Scientists, Page France, Apples in Stereo, and more. Toya showcases her highs and lows of 2006, particularly within the R&B genre.

yo majesty: coming to a hood near you.

YO MAJESTY are no strangers to this blog. I posted about them back in June, and since then they've received attention from bigger blogs such as BIGSTEREO and stereogum. The latter blog marked the three ladies as a "band to watch" in 2007, and I can't agree more.

I've had the privilege to hear rough mixes of seven new songs not appearing on the Yo EP. With them in my ears, I have received confirmation that hip-hop is, in fact, not dead.

Sure, it doesn't seem like Yo Majesty is about to spit some socially conscious lyrics on the level of "The Message" or Public Enemy. They're no Shakespeares of the hood. However, Shon.B, Shunda-K, and Jwel B are a complete breath of fresh air. They bring the party without needing any help from Scott Storch, Pharrell, or will.i.am. They spit sexual lyrics without needing to show any skin. Quite simply, instead of just talking about the glorified early days of hip-hop, they go there musically. While the rest of the south was occupied with chopping and screwing, snapping, and pumping out mediocre crunk shit, Yo Majesty was busy perfecting their throwback Miami bass/electro-hop sound. This sound is dominant throughout the tracks currently recorded for their full-length debut. If the new track "Old School Shit" is any indication, I anticipate that the final product will be a you-can't-even-handle-it-all buffet of booty-dropping.

You'll be hearing more about Yo Majesty here at The Moneyshot. Until then, I'll leave you with two mp3s-- "Warning" and a presumably older song "Don't Fuck With Me" (courtesy of hardfeelingsuk freeform disco 1).

DOWNLOAD: YO MAJESTY- Warning
DOWNLOAD: YO MAJESTY- Don't Fuck With Me

BUY Yo EP on iTunes

HEADS UP: Perhaps I'm biased, but my pick for "artist to watch" in 2007 is Denver native Laura Goldhamer. Her upcoming albumYe Olde Leave Behind has blown my mind. I will keep you posted about the release date.

RIP: Sadly, "The Godfather of Soul" James Brown passed away this Christmas. He was an incredibly influential artist, laying the grounds for funk, disco, and hip-hop.

BLOGWATCH: Culture Bully takes a jab at Jay-Z. soul sides ponders the power behind Jennifer Hudson's "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" from the film Dreamgirls. Between Thought and Expression has a great new tune by Robyn, Diplo's remix of Justin Timberlake's "My Love", and a track that can only be described as an "electro pop update to Khia's 'My Neck, My Back'." Honorable Media gives you a taste of the new Chamillionaire mixtape.

yo majesty: get yo ass on the flo'.

YO MAJESTY wasn't discovered by me...They found me. I don't know how these ladies knew I'd dig their hott booty-bass ol' skool sound, but I'm glad they did.

The ladies' motto is "smashing against the sonic perimeter" and I can't stop letting their voices smash against my ears. How can you resist a group that spits, "Courvoisier, Courvoisier where art thou?" and hums the beat to Salt 'N' Pepa in the background? It's simplicity. It's genuine. It's skills. It's hip-hop at it's best. Yo Majesty is to ol' skool hip-hop what The Pipettes are to Phil Spector's girl-groups. They take it back, they update the sound...and they blow my mind.

Yo Majesty consists of three ladies--- "Shon.B knocking down rhymes like toy soldiers, Shunda-K haunting us with supersonic raps, and Jwel B the songstress of the group ripping track after track." Their flow and chemistry is impeccable. Can they be my best friends? Please?

DOWNLOAD: YO MAJESTY- Club Action
DOWNLOAD: YO MAJESTY- Kryptonite Pussy

Make sure to check out two more songs, "Monkey" and "Hustle Mode", on the space. BUY their EP here.

BLOGWATCH: Living in Stereo has a great track by my favorite soul ladies' man Swamp Dogg, along with an interesting read on gay marriage and polyamory. Head over to Timedoor for Dert's Jose Gonzalez hip-hop mash-up if you haven't heard that yet. 2 Many Scenes has a tune from a great J-pop artist that is reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson power-pop. Speaking of Ms. Clarkson, ONTD has her new song "Go" which you may have heard in Ford commercials.