It seems one cannot go out these days without either hearing Trap music being played or hearing someone talking about Trap. Even Snoop recently tweeted about it. But as with any new genre, sometimes it can be difficult to understand or define what exactly makes it that new style of music. Enter Atlanta based Heroes x Villains, whose forthcoming documentary Certified Trap explores its history and evolution while covering some of the main figureheads of the emerging genre.
The Duo behind Heroes x Villains -who have been friends and DJ partners since their teen years- released their first mixtape 'We Off That' on Mad Decent in 2010, featuring several of their own electronic dance music remixes of artists Lil Jon, Waka Flocka Flame, Diplo, Gucci Mane, and many others- putting them on top of the game over night. And that description in itself more or less defines what Trap music is; Dirty South Rap (beats) x EDM (synths) x Deep Sub-Bass.
This year the Mad Decent block party tour docked in Brooklyn’s newly renovated Williamsburg Park for a day of thumping beats and thunderstorms. Over a thousand EDM (electro dance music) fans of all ages thronged the grounds in nothing but body paint, beads, and backpacks in the sweltering 90 degree plus heat.
Sets by Bonde Do Role, Lunice, Riff Raff, eXquire, and Erol Alkan pumped electro, house, dub-step, and hip-hop audible for blocks outside of the scene. Sponsors Heineken and Puma provided beer and giveaways. The party mashed on as the sidelines hosted games of table tennis and foosball. Food trucks camped inside the gates providing deep fried fare. The roster progressed toward the headlining acts and the predicted storm clouds rolled over Mad Decent.
When: 6:30 – 9:30pm
Where: The Empire Hotel Rooftop, 22 West 63rd St.
When: 7-11:30pm
Where: The Vault at Pfaff’s, 643 Broadway, Manhattan.
When: 9pm-4am
Where: Sky Room Times Square, 330 West 40th St.
When: 10pm – 4am
Where: XVI Lounge, 251 West 48th St. New York.
Spanning the country and even dipping into Toronto for a day, each Block Party will feature a full day of performances from Mad Decent’s stellar roster of artists (such as Dillon Francis, Major Lazer, Zeds Dead and more). The all-ages event will also offer food and activities, and is ABSOLUTELY FREE.
Hosted by Puma, the tour will kick off in late July in Toronto, followed by concerts in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. The lineup has yet to be announced. Fans can RSVP here.
So get ready to Express Yourself to a day full of dubstep, house, tribal funk, moombahton and every other crazy sub-genre of handcrafted weirdness the Mad Decent clan can create.
Laidback Luke is also calling all superartists to submit their most unique superhero costume designs for a contest in conjunction with legendary cartoonists Stan Lee and Todd McFarlane. Laidback Luke will sport the winning costume design at his concert, and invite the contest winner to see the costume in its full glory. For contest details, click here.
Diplo mentioned/hinted at/alluded to his new EP Express Yourself all the way back in December 2011. Since then, all has been silent for the most part. In February, the title track form the EP was released as a single to much acclaim on the Mad Decent imprint. Featuring Nicky Da B, it's a pretty classic take on a bounce track, full of energy and some serious hooks.
Finally, after much anticipation, the EP is slated for release on June 12 on Mad Decent. While this is no guarantee given the long and mysterious nature of this journey, hopes are high for an actual release this time. Collaborating with Nicky Da B, Elephant man, GTA and a slew of others, Express Yourself is sure to set many a dance floor on fire next month.
It has barely been a year since Rusko rattled Terminal 5‘s walls with his explosive dubstep masterpieces, but the English producer is returning to the big apple this summer to serve up another hearty helping of bass to the face.
That’s right dubstep fans, Rusko will be at Terminal 5 on May 13th, once again infecting the crowd with his wobbling and womping breakdowns!
The stop is part of his three-month-long spring tour which spans America from coast to coast, and even dips in to the Great White North for a few nights.
Amanda Blank is bringing her potty mouth to Santos Party House next Friday, January 29th as part of a show series built by MeanRed.
Amanda Blank stormed onto the scene in the wake of multi-talented female artists like M.I.A. and Santigold. She raps, she sings, and she might bite your head off. Her frank lyrics and intense performance style have made Blank a topic of conversation in indie-pop circles across the globe. Known for her stage appearances alongside Spankrock, Blank was originally a part of the Philadelphia-based pop group Sweetheart. She released I Love You, her solo debut in the summer of 2009. I Love You features the single "Might Like You Better" and tracks produced by Switch, XXXChange and Philly big shot Diplo.