World's Fair

You may have been hearing about the spectacular Mercury-Prize winning Dizzee Rascal for a while, but now is finally the time for stateside hip-hop fans or fans-to-be to check out the garage rap master in action, celebrating the 4/29 US release (courtesy of Def Jux) of Maths + English, a record that EW has called “an eclectic, break-dance-worthy Slick Rick reincarnation,” while The Observer Music Monthly declared it “essential” and “his strongest, most ambitious and mature…to date.”

Dizzee already tore it up at SXSW and the MTV Australia Awards 2008, now he’s primed for cross-country American domination. Oh yeah, and if the thought of ridiculously grimy beats and spit-fire rhymes from Britain’s favorite MC isn’t enough, he’s touring with none other than El-P, who really has to be seen to be believed.

Dizzee Rascal - MegaMaster 1.0 (Mixed by El-P) [DOWNLOAD]

Clear your calenders, dates start tomorrow!

May 8 - 9:30 Club, D.C.
May 9 - First Unitarian Church, Philly
May 10 - Webster Hall, NYC
May 11 - The Middle East, Boston
May 12 - New Capital Music Hall, Ottawa
May 13 - Crofoot Ballroom, Detroit
May 14 - The Abbey Pub, Chicago
May 16 - Triple Rock Club, Minneapolis
May 19 - Neumos, Seattle
May 20 - Berbatis Pan, Portland
May 21 - 1015, San Francisco
May 22 - El Rey, Los Angeles

Artist: Dizzee Rascal
Album: Maths + English (U.S. Edition)
Label: Definitive Jux / World’s Fair
Street Date: April 29th, 2008
Formats: CD, mp3

Dizzee Rascal feat. U.G.K. - “Where’s Da G’s?” [DOWNLOAD]

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | Dizzee Rascal | Myspace | YouTube

Don’t miss Del The Funky Homosapien on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson this Thursday, April 10!! also that night, Del kicks off a string of west coast shows in San Diego… see below for the run-down…

Del’s video for “Workin’ It” is featured on the FUSE.TV WORM home page

Check out the SuicideGirls catching up with El-P and Del at the Def Jux SXSW showcase here…

Del also swung through Studio 360, where he talked about the new album and how his path diverged from that of his cousin, gangsta pioneer Ice Cube [listen here]

“Hip-Hop’s Funkitect from the Future,” as they say, talks shop with Ableton… [click here for the interview]

CMJ.com reviewed Del’s show @ the Highline Ballroom in NYC [peep it here]

new Del dates upcoming!!
Thu, April 10 - San Diego @ Belly Up Tavern
Sat, April 12 - USC Springfest 2008 @ McCarthy Quad - w/Lupe Fiasco, De La Soul, Aceyalone, Del The Funky Homosapien and others (doors 12pm, free!)
Sat, April 19 - ASCUCI’s Wayzgoose Festival at Aldrich @ UC Irvine (doors 10am, free!)
Wed, April 23 - Red Bull Music Academy Workship @ UC Berkeley
Fri, April 25 - Sparks (Reno), NV @ The New Oasis
Fri, May 2 - Santa Cruz @ the Catalyst
Sat, May 3 - San Luis Obispo, CA @ The Pozo Saloon
Tue, May 20 - Spokane, WA @ The Boulevard
Wed, May 21 - Missoula, MT @ The Other Side
Thu, May 22 - Bozeman, MT @ Zebra Cocktail Lounge
Fri, May 23 - Salt Lake City @ Palladium
Sat, May 24 - Moab UT @ Desert Rocks Music Festival/ Kane Creek Canyon
Fri, Jun 6 - Lawrence, KS @ Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival

Artist: Del The Funky Homosapien
Album:Eleventh Hour
Label: Definitive Jux
Street Date: March 11th, 2008
Formats: CD, vinyl, mp3 [PRE-ORDER @ DEFINITIVE JUX]

Del The Funky Homosapien - “Bubble Pop (Promo)” [DOWNLOAD]

Mr. Dibbs Presents “Del The Funky Megamix” [LISTEN]

CONNECT: Delspace | Definitive Jux | World’s Fair

In case you missed, it’s official! In addition to the US release of Dizzee’s critically acclaimed “Maths + English” coming up on April 29th, Def Jux takes it to a whole other level with this stretch of tour dates below…

Jus’ a Rascal:
March 6 - PLUG AWARDS, NYC
March 11 - Southpaw, Brooklyn

Def Jux @ SXSW:
March 13 - The Scoot Inn (SXSW)

El Rascal
May 8- 9:30 Club, D.C.
May 9 - First Unitarian Church, Philly
May 10 - Webster Hall, NYC
May 11- Middles East, Boston
May 12 - New Capital Music Hall, Ottawa
May 13 - Crofoot Ballroom, Detroit
May 14 - The Abbey Pub, Chicago
May 16 - Triple Rock Club, Minneapolis
May 19 - Neumos, Seattle
May 20 - Berbatis Pan, Portland
May 21 - 1015, San Francisco
May 22 - El Rey, Los Angeles

CONNECT: Definitive Jux

Quite a few familiar faces gettin titty twisters and stuffing foods in faces!

Artist: Hangar 18
Album: Sweep The Leg
Label: Definitive Jux
Street Date: October 23rd, 2007
Formats: vinyl, CD, mp3

Hangar 18 - “Bakin’ Soda” [DOWNLOAD]

Hangar 18 - “Feet To Feet” [DOWNLOAD]

Hangar 18 - “Think Big” [DOWNLOAD] from the Definitive Swim compilation

CONNECT: World’s Fair | Myspace | Def Jukies | DefTube

Ho ho ho…

… Read ‘em & weep suckaz!

#2 @ XLR8R, Best Artists
“Truth is a powerful thing, which is why so many artists and politicians avoid it. But El-P packed so much of it into I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead, with the help of so many all-stars, that only those who still want to wave their hands in they air like the just don’t care missed it….” - XLR8R [READ MORE]

#39 @ Treblezine, Best Albums
“Led Zeppelin reunited. Public Enemy released a new album. Baroness, Neurosis, Pig Destroyer and High On Fire proved that metal is as relevant and advanced as ever, and still, the heaviest album of the year was El-P’s I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead…” - Treblezine [READ MORE]

#36 @ Pop Matters, Best Albums
“There are bigger things than hip-hop, something few hip-hop artists realize. What they forget is hip-hop’s birth as a movement in and around suffering. You could hear that suffering in Woody Guthrie’s talking-blues depression, the Bronx’s squalid open-air parties, the shots emanating from a white Cadillac on 7 September 1996, Eminem and MTV, and, if you ask me, the solo output and entrepreneurship of one Jaime Meline. No one has done more this decade to change the face and sound of hip-hop and to bring it back to its long-suffering roots than him…” - PopMatters [READ MORE]

#5 @ Chicago Tribune, Best Albums
“Here are 13 expertly produced and sequenced songs that serve as the soundtrack for the meltdown…” - Chicago Tribune [READ MORE]

Top 10 CDs @ Oregon Live
“Not easy listening, but in El-P’s world, if you want ease, you might as well be dead….” - The Oregonian [READ MORE]

Best Albums @ Urb Magazine
“… Poisonville Kids No Wins (This Must Be Our Time)… may be indie rap’s best breakup song…if not its first…” - URB [READ MORE]

Favorite Hip Hop Albums @ Allmusic

#5 @ Sound Opinions

#30 @ Stylus [R.I.P.]

#5 @ SF Station

… dead yet?

Artist: El-P
Album: I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead [E-CARD]
Label: Definitive Jux
Street Date: March 20th, 2007
Formats: CD, vinyl, mp3

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | Myspace | iMeem

El-P sweeps up nominations in the categories:
Album Of The Year
Album Of The Year - Hip Hop
Tour Award
MVP Of The Year
The Dilla Award - Producer Of The Year

Aesop Rock picks up nomination honor for:
Album Of The Year - Hip Hop

but its YOUR VOTE that will be the clincher so hop to it!

Meanwhile, pick up or download the latest issue of XLR8R for more kudos! El wins Best Artist honors - “This guys as a manic and serious multi-tasker, but above all, he is obviously super-smart”, while Aes is hailed for being an “unfathomable mindwarp”! [READ MORE]

& don’t forget to vote for both jukies @ the Plug Awards too! Time is tricking out, act now, get yours, get ours, let the haters get theirs!

Artist: El-P
Album: I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead [E-CARD]
Label: Definitive Jux
Street Date: March 20th, 2007
Formats: CD, vinyl, mp3

Artist: Aesop Rock
Album: “None Shall Pass”
Label: Definitive Jux
Street Date: August 28th, 2007
Formats: CD, vinyl, mp3

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | El-Meem | El-space | Aes-Meem | Aes-Space

Come out to the FREE show at Studio B in Brooklyn on Thursday, December 6th!

WHAT: El-P free show at Studio B
WHEN: Thursday, December 6th
WHERE: Studio B - 259 Banker St. Brooklyn, NY
TIME: Doors at 9pm
Flying Lotus and Home Video will be opening

Peep the in-depth interview with El @ his home studio @ fresh new Music Intelligence website MI145 [WATCH]

Vote for El-P @ PlugAwards!

Artist: El-P
Album: I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead [E-CARD]
Label: Definitive Jux
Street Date: March 20th, 2007
Formats: CD, vinyl, mp3

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | iMeem | Myspace

Vote now for many of our awesomest videos this year on MTV2 Subterranean’s best of 2007 countdown! See the results on 12/17 on MTV2 at 1AM EST

CONNECT: WorldTube

It’s time already again to cast your votes for Plug 2008!

And, OUR nominees are…

Artist Of The Year = El-P

Female Artist Of The Year = Sharon Jones

Male Artist Of The Year = El-P

Hip Hop Album Of The Year = Aesop Rock and El-P - tuff choice!

Live Act Of The Year = Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

DJ Album Of The Year = 2 nominations for Fabric!
Ricardo Villalobos - Fabric 36 (Fabric)
Ewan Pearson - Fabric 35 (Fabric)

Music Video Of The Year = Aesop Rock’s “None Shall Pass”

Record Label Of The Year = Definitive Jux

Do the right thing = Vote!

CONNECT: Plug Awards

We are proud to announce that the new album from seminal rapper, hip hop icon, and founding member of the mighty Hieroglyphics crew, Del The Funky Homosapien. The 11th Hour, will be released on Definitive Jux on February 26th, 2008. Del is an artist who helped set standard for a new mold of MC/Hip Hop artist in 1991 with the release of I Wish My brother George Was Here, and shortly after with No Need For Alarm in 1993. His last solo album, Both Sides Of The Brain was released in 2000 on Heiro Imperium, the label he founded with other members of his Heiroglyphics crew.

Del’s impact on the music world did not end with his solo work of even the albums his label released. At the beginning of the new millenium Del branched out and through his work with Dan the Automator on the Deltron 3030 record and later with the Gorillaz multi platinum first album (and on which he voiced the hit single, “Clint Eastwood”), Del continued to push the boundaries of the art of MCing and proving that talent and versatility could make rap relevant outside the traditional boundaries of genre.

When asked about working with Def Jux, Del commented: “I look at this as an opportunity to spread the gospel a little thicker. El-P and I have known each other for a long time and I respect what he does. I see Def Jux out there doing their thing, I think we can help each other build new audiences. I’m looking forward to working with El-P and Def Jux on future projects as well.”

El-P added, “Del is and always has been one of my favorite artists and people. It’s amazing to get a chance to release Del’s vision on Jux. The 11th Hour 100% Del. Conceived and produced completely by the man himself. My hope is just to get the record out to as many people as possible and to support the legacy Del and the whole Heiro Emporium have created. He’s one of hip hop’s true originals and a legitimate leader of the new and true school that we all love.”

(in case you missed…)

Del is currently touring the U.S. on the 11th Hour Tour, the remaining dates are:

Fri Nov 2 - Fort Collins CO - The Aggie Theater
Sat Nov 3 - Aspen CO - Belly Up Tavern
Sun Nov 4 - Boulder CO - Fox Theater
Mon Nov 5 - Park City UT - Suede
Thu Nov 8 - Portland OR - Roseland
Fri Nov 9 - Seattle WA - Showbox
Sat Nov 10 - Eugene OR - Wow Hall
Sun Nov 11 - Chico CA - Senator Theater
Tue Nov 13 - San Francisco CA - Slims
Wed Nov 14 - San Francisco CA - Slims

CONNECT: Definitive Jux