[excel and prevail...]

After all these years, Roc Raida came back to the Roc to rock. He was a beast, truly, not much more can be said. Definition of what a DJ should be, he kept the crowd moving, all while showcasing his talents. Now that's EXecution.
-MdotCoop

Roc Raida played in the downstairs level of Dubbies- which happens to be a basement. It was fitting that the dj set he played had that raw house party feel that reminded us all of those days we used to party in somebody's basement. You remember those parties- turntables propped up on cinder blocks, people sippin 40s, and the music had us all huddled around the dj- waiting to hear that new jam. Last night Roc Raida kept the tracks flowing seamlessly- expertly mixing a solid blend of 90s hip hop, newer tracks and even some rock n roll for good measure. Roc Raida cold rocked a party.
-CleverGypsy

[Krudco and Red Bull Claim It]

This Sunday Krudco and Redbull will be shutting down Howell street and skateboarding will take over. Bring your board and all your friends. Mdot Coop, Tim Tones, and Ric Rude providing that real hip hop.

[Roc Raida in the ROC!!!!!]

This Friday Roc Raida will be on the 1's and 2's at Dubland Underground. You know what to do- get there early.

[Italian Vogue- The Black Issue]

It's about time! For the July issue of Italian Vogue photographer Steven Meisel showcases only black models on over 100 pages of this legendary fashion magazine. Among these models are Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Veronica Webb, Alek Wek, Alva Chinn, Sessilee Lopez, Ubah, Kiara Kabakubu, Noemie Lenoir, Vernoica Webb, Arlenis Sosa, Liya Kebede, Karen Alexander, Iman, Yasmin Warsame, Jourdan Dunn, Gail O'Neill, Toccara Jones, and Chanel Iman. The photo shoots are spectacular and the message is clear- black women are beautiful and stylish- why are we not gracing more magazine pages? Oddly enough there are fewer black models in fashion magazines in the US today than there were in the 70s. And many advertisers shy away from "ethnic" models because they feel they may not sell the product well. Interestingly enough it was Italian Vogue who put together an issue celebrating black women- not American Vogue. The issue also features articles on Michele Obama, Spike Lee, and Ebony and Essence Magazine. The issue runs about $15 us and it worth every penny- it's already had a US reprint and is most definitely a collector's item. More info and pictures: Jezebel

[Roc City Park]

Just heard about the website supporting the move for a public skate park to be built in downtown Rochester. Of course we are behind this impetus and encourage all to check out the website and get involved. A skate park would be beneficial not only for skaters but business owners and community members alike. Check out the site: Roc City Park

[Shows, Shows & Shows]

This Saturday in the Roc- During the daylight hours make sure you're at the "new" Record Archive. Yes they moved to 33 and 1/3 Rockwood St. Haven't been to the new spot yet but have heard good things about their stage and store layout. During the twilight hours on Saturday get right on down to Dubland Underground. Reece Q(uotable) has a new album and the party will be in full effect. If you're lucky you will catch Mdot Coop on the mic at both of these events. For more info: Record Archive News, ACT:LIVE

[Thrift Your Way To Exclusivety]

Secondhand, thrift, pre-owned. All adjectives to describe a type of store. Thrift Stores, V.V.A., V.O.A, Goodwill. It can a few minutes or as long as a fewhours to go through the vast racks of clothes found in area thrift stores. But, when you do find that exclusive garment circa the 80s or early 90s it feels so good, a real ground-score. I can think back over the summer to more than a few exclusives I got at various thrift stores around the 585. The Irulan Emerson(personal name tag inside of shirt) button-down I got with the mother of pearl buttons. The blank Boston Celtic colored Starter jacket, that will be transformed into a D.E.L.I. Ent. jacket. And the Monroe County Ice Storm of '91 t-shirt. So, don't be afraid to explore these graveyards of clothes because these garments can be brought back to life. You get used to the musky smell, and when you come back with something you never thought you'd see again, the feeling of knowing your gonna crush that shit is overwhelming, more so than that fresh piece you just bought at the mall.
-MdotCoop

[Diggin on...]

a tiny sample of things we love:

1. Kidrobot Dunny collectibles. These not so kid friendly toys have taken over our living room mantle. Be careful because once you start buying them you can't stop- highly addictive.

2. I love the 80s movies at Target. Now 80s babies can get all the movies we used to watch on beta and VHS. We already copped "Better off Dead" starring a baby-faced John Cusack and the Eddie Murphy classic "Coming to America".

3. LJ's restaurant- When you're craving jerk chicken, brown stew or ox tails head to LJ's on Thurston. Down home Jamaican food to go.

4. The Olympics-Duh! Don't lie you know you've got Olympic Fever too. Some awesome athletes that have been blowing us away: Hyleas Fountain, Cullen Jones, Hanna Thompson. Looking forward to BMX racing this week.

5. That last feverish bit of summer. We've been embracing this last official month of summer and there's still so many parties, events and shows coming up. So bust out those shorts shorts, sandals, and shades and bask in the still deliciously hot times.

[Splurge on F-U-N]

check out Ebony Bones. Seems like she'd be really rad live...

[Diane Lane=Punk Princess]

I really wanna own this movie- Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains

[internet blues]

Why oh why can't internet access be a community wide, free service? Should it really be a luxury when most of can't get through the day without it? If you are like us then you are usually tapping into some wireless network and not paying a dime to use the google machine. I mean I haven't paid to go online since 2002 or so.But it can really suck when the network you were so easily connecting to suddenly up and disappears. The first day you keep thinking it's a fluke occurrence and that your beloved network will magically re-appear. Then day after day you keep getting that dreaded windows message: sorry loser you just can't connect! Then it's off to the coffee shop for us internet deprived souls to try and jam as much of our personal internet business into a time slot.Unfortunately this impersonal method of using the internet is just not the same. I mean who doesn't love being able to stretch out on the couch and lazily get lost in the the bermuda triangle of websites? Or being able to google those random little questions that you might need answered at 2am like what size shoe does Michael Jordan wear? (according to WikiAnswers he wears a 13.)

[Matt and Kim]

Last night Matt and Kim rocked the hell out of the Bug Jar. This duo using only a keyboard and drums created the most infectious, high energy, hyper-tastic, power anthems my ears have ever experienced. And yes this is a very good thing. Matt and Kim don't just play their set- they gather all their energy and literally hurl it at you using musical thunderbolts. And what magnificent thunderbolts they are- Matt and Kim put every drop of themselves into their music and their live performance is undeniably honest and just plain awesome.I also got to chat with both musicians after the show and they just happen to be two refreshingly down-to-earth and fun people. Catch one of their shows if you can- the sheer musical force of these two will make you smile, jump up and down, and hum along to their songs- all at the same time.

[Come Thru Wit Da Come Thru...]

This Wed. Aug. 6th- 10:30pm at Dubland Underground MdotCoop will be performing. Come out, show some support if you're trying to get behind this D.E.L.I. movement.

[Spiked]

I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the presence of people at the usually barren Spike's. Saturday the 2nd was a day full of events you could take your pick from. Spike's proved to be an excellent venue for the likes of The Soul Slingers, Optix, and myself among others. The Soul Slingers, D.E.L.I. , and The Goonies have been working together heavy lately, we might mess around and do the The Goonie Slinging D.E.L.I. album.
-MdotCoop

[Art Fest--->Corporate Fest]

This past weekend Rochester held it's annual Park Ave Arts Festival. Park Avenue was lined with arts vendors, food stands, musical acts, and other festival offerings. This year we also noticed a large number of corporate sponsors and booths that seemed to threaten the artistic nature of the festival. Nevertheless the festival drew large crowds and we hope that artisans made a decent profit.

Artists that caught our attention: Al Hubbard whose colorful jazz influenced acrylics made a seriously bold statement. Donald Lo whose photographs of Asian landscapes were so beautiful they looked surreal. We made one purchase- some Egyptian musk and "dat thing" incense from Mutayyiboon. This vendor had a wealthy offering of incense, oils, pure shea butter, and black soap. We tried a sample of their shea butter on our hands and it truly was a decadent moisturizer. Will definitely purchase some in the near future.