The 2011 Rock the Bells Festival, sponsored by Boost Mobile and Blackberry, kicked off with a bang at the House of Blues this Tuesday night. Rock the Bells founder, Chang Weisberg, welcomed veterans and newbies to the stage to announce an airtight line up that rivals last year’s stellar offering. This year’s line-up boasts Lauryn Hill (Miseducation of Lauryn Hill), Nas (Illmatic), Erykah Badu, Black Star (Black Star), Raekwon + Ghostface (Only Built For Cuban Linx),  Mobb Deep (The Infamous), GZA (Liquid Swords), Souls of Mischief (93 to Infinity), Blu & Exile, Evidence, Childish Gambino and many more!

At the House of Blues, the stage was hot and spirits were high. Even Evidence began to circulate a joint for the press to share. Artists, such as RZA, B Real, and Supernatural, expressed their respect and affinity for Rock the Bells festival, fans and founder. Others also shared their apprehensions about debuting never performed songs from classic albums. “We’ll be doing songs that we’ve never ever performed before,” Tajai from Souls of Mischief shared.  Havoc, 1/2 of Mobb Deep, divulged “there are about 4 our 5 songs that I’m a bit nervous about.” It is that same respect for the craft and dedication to the fans that Weisberg hopes that every concert-goer experiences. “At the end of the day, this is all about the fans and I make sure that I communicate that to all of our artists who perform at Rock the Bells” Weisberg exclaimed. From the passion and excitement that emanated from Tuesday’s launch party, Rock the Bells 2011 will be one for the books.

Tickets for this year’s Rock The Bells go on sale 6/3. Stay tuned to Rock The Bell’s Twitter, Facebook and Website for updates on the line-up and exclusive content.

This is exactly the type of weirdness I would expect when you put soul rebel Erykah Badu on the same track as sizzurp sippin’, stream of consciousness rapper Lil’ Wayne. You have to love the kaleidoscopic effect all throughout and Weezy’s verse holds up with some of his best. Check it out!

Words and Photos by: Ace Knuckles

As the Ecstatic Tour nears its close, Mos Def, Erykah Badu along with Jay Electronica & Whosane graced the walls of the Palladium in Los Angeles with their eclectic sounds. Hands down, this was one of the most amazing shows this year. It was just what LA needed to close off a summer that didn’t get hot enough soon enough.  When it comes to Ms. Badu, an amazing performance is to be expected;  but because I’ve never seen Mos live so I didn’t know what I was in for. I got more than I anticipated. Mos Def live is a definite must see. He performed hits from The Ecstatic album to classics from Black On Both Sideslike “Ms. Fat Booty” which was a crowd favorite thanks to Ms. Badu playing the role of Ms. Fat Booty. I truly feel for anyone who couldn’t make it out but I hope these photos do you some type of justice. See them after you

Words by: Joseph Poakwa

After the well received debut of Hollywood Recordings and the construction of a production catalogue as deep and obscure as the analog bass slaps that reside in their music, the trinity of fresh is back!  As rumors of a breakup began to circulate,  Sa-Ra (Om’Mas Keith, Taz Arnold, and Shafiq Husayn) was away in the studio producing hit after hit for artists such as Erykah Badu, John Legend, and Fonzworth Bentley among others.  With a wider fan base and time to relax to put their all into each strike of the Moog “The Source” synthesizer, Sa-Ra has returned to the surface to deliver their sophomore album, Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love.  With a strong body of work ready to present to the masses and a college tour in the works, Sa-Ra sat down with Vapors to discuss how they continue to produce quality music, working with Dilla in his last days, and why sex is the key to their success.

JP: How do you guys manage to stay consistent through the years?
Sa-Ra:   We listen to that good shit! Steely Dan, Roy Ayers, Bob James, Michael, and David Bowie. Thank God for David Bowie! What would the world have done without David Bowie?  The only thing we can do is display what’s inside.  Most people don’t get it initially because, most people cannot put content as extensive as the repertoire we keep into their stream and know first how to aggregate it and then deliver it.  So if it sounds crazy, that’s cuz nigga, we crazy!  We are crazy dudes.  We hang with billionaires and we hang with your favorite drug dealer on 54^th and Crenshaw.  That’s the diversity of our lifestyle.  White trash in a trailer park, that’s our fans.  Billionaires that own fuckin’ Facebook, that’s our fans.  Niggas on Crenshaw, those are our fans. 

JP:  What is your most memorable studio session?
Sa-Ra:  Herbie Hancock by far!  Were so in the world that getting Herbie Hancock ultimately wound up not being a  problem, but we had no idea homeboy was gonna roll up in the brand new yellow corvette that the Grammys had lent him for two weeks cuz he’s a fuckin’ God!  He showed up to our house at like 9 o’clock at night and was like “Hey, it’s Herbie!” To our House!  There he was by himself. No crew, No entourage, just Herbie Hancock at our lavish studio house in Silver Lake.  He was like “I’m ready to do what y’all want me to do”, and that was a night where we spent six hours producing and recording, talking with and learning from Herbie Hancock.  The song that we did with him, called “Fantastic Vampire,” is gonna be on our next record “Black Fuzz.” Sa-Ra featuring Herbie Hancock and Erykah Badu. That was probably the most memorable session cause you’re talking about somebody who is just a true Master Teacher.  The second most memorable one is Bambaataa.  He passed us the torch and made us all Zulu Kings.

JP:  What was it like working with Dilla on “Thrilla” right before his death?
Sa-Ra:  He stayed at our house for about three or four days.  We went to go pick up Dilla from Common’s house and we came to the studio; for three days we crafted blunts, beats, verses and food.  We picked his brain, he picked our brain. Dude immediately gravitated to us because he saw our show at the Temple bar that night.  He and Madlib watched our show that night; right while they were making Jaylib.  Dilla was like “Wow, I get it”.  The process was just the most organic and beautiful thing.  He’s so talented.  He didn’t want to leave our house without finishing the record.  Dude was in pain the whole time, but his interaction with us was what was keeping him out the pain. I can assure you of that; interaction with brethren that were just like him.  Sa-Ra loves J Dilla.

JP: The lyrical content on Nuclear Evolution is very sex driven as is much of the Sa-Ra catalogue.  What is Sa-Ra’s infatuation with the sexual conquest?
Sa-Ra:  There is no Sa-Ra without sex.  We exude sexual energy.  Sex is creation.  It’s nature at its finest.  It’s one of the most natural things you can do, and we are natural men.  Take that for what you may, but that term encompasses so much.  It means you’re in charge; unaffected by the system.  You’re natural.  You’re not property of or a member of anything other than what you decide.  That goes right over to the sexual realm where we do a show and there’s some skinny black girls with big titties and fat asses on leashes that we walk out.  And why don’t these women feel like they’re being marginalized?  Because it’s just a natural game of courtship and play that plays out on record.  Records are one of the most amazing vessels to play out your fantasies and your realities.  Demonstrate reality because people don’t get the opportunity to be around you.  We’re so focused on hiding everything.  We gon’ dispel the myth and reveal the truth.  That is one of our primary goals. 

JP: What’s next for Sa-Ra?
Sa-Ra:  We got this whole other record [Black Fuzz] that ain’t got nothing to do with this shit [Nuclear Evolution] that’s got Iggy Pop on it, Afrika Bambaataa, Bilal, John Legend, and Herbie Hancock.  We’re putting out this Ubiquity record and then we are all putting out solo records before the end of the year.  Then we’re gonna drop Black Fuzz.  That’s five unique pieces of product from the Sa-Ra entity within a year period.  It’s gonna change the world. It’s gonna change shit up.  We’re gonna inundate, overwhelm, and collect. Ha! Flood, Stun ya, and Take ya Money! That’s some Johnny Cochran Shit!

Photos by: Ashley Queen

There really is no other way to kick off summer in Los Angeles.  Beautiful music and beautiful people. The UCLA JazzFest stage was blessed by De La Soul, People, Under the Stairs, Leela James and Ms. Erykah Badu. I don’t know how she managed to still look super fly in a Public Enemy sweatshirt, hot pants and a bowler hat, but she pull that shit off!  More photos after you 

Hello my name is…
Muffy.

Aka…
The Muffster, Muffarama, Muffomatic, Muff-Mommy, I have a milli aka’s.

I was raised in…
Partly in Detroit, where I was born—where most gangstas and playas are born. Then off to Newark, NJ, where I learned how to steal my first car (jus’ teasing!), and I’m still being raised musically in Atlanta. I must bloom where I’m planted. Ya dig pop!?

The reason that you’re reading about me is…
My dope-ass manager who picked me up off the corner of Ponce De Leon in Atlanta outside of MJQ’s, where I shamelessly gave him my demo CD after being encouraged by good friend and fellow artist-on-the-come-up Fiona Simone. Then after I was abducted by the best management team in Atlanta, I was introduced to Bangladesh. A year after initial introduction to the musical beast/super-duper producer, I locked in with him to complete the journey to make groundbreaking music.

I work for…
The universe herself. I was planted here to do her will. I work for love.

Right now I’m working on…
I’m actually not working. I’m living and breathing and enjoying the road to a healthy lifestyle. Making peace and prosperity doing the things I love the most, which include my groundbreaking musical talents.

But I’d rather be…
Frolicking in a meadow with fluffy animals, after baking a fresh batch of bananas nut muffins and sharing them with the good-willed people of the world. Then worry about the politics of the music industry. But that’s why I have Coach K, my manager.

My most prized possessions are…
My beautiful gem stones. And collectable toys. And my phone for texting. And my fingers for texting. Mostly my thumbs though. And my toes for painting them really pretty colors. I love every thing I possess. I’m thankful for all that I have. The simpler they are, the more I appreciate them.

The first thing I do in the morning is…
Chant, “I am a winner” over and over, then meditate. Or something of that sort. Direct my mind to positive thinking in order to achieve agreeable manifestation.

The last thing I do at night is…
Drink Patron and pass out. Well, that’s true for a lot of nights. But sometimes I just meditate and/or listen to Erykah Badu. She’s my imaginary soul auntie. I never met her. Not pressed to either. But we have the same birthday. I really relate to the frequencies in her music. Even though it’s way different from my own. Oh yeah and lots of the time I mix in a li’l Bjork.

My momma always said…
I should never get a regular job or any job. She always encouraged me to live life instead of work my life away. I loved calling her every time I would quit a job. It would be more like a reason to celebrate more than a loss of money. Money is cool. But it doesn’t really exist. We are already rich. When you realize that you take chances.

I love it when people…
Smile and say hello—especially if it’s genuine. A smile of sincerity, you can’t ask for more.

I can’t stand when people…
Are afraid to jump, or to try, or to change, or to fly. Well the flying thing, I have recently gotten scared of myself. But hypothetically speaking, I really just mean, I get sad when I don’t see people pushing their limits.

The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen is…
I see beauty everywhere. I like too many things. I’m always like, “that’s the most beautiful thing” or “that’s my favorite thing ever.” I’m extra like that. I see a lot of beautiful things. Like Pro Tools sessions. That always amazes me to see the lines of sounds go across a computer screen.

The ugliest thing I’ve ever seen is…
The ugliest thing I ever seen was “two girls and a cup” video. That’s some crazy YouTubeness. I couldn’t even get through the first 15 seconds. So maybe I didn’t see it.

I am what I drive, which is…
I don’t drive. I am a sneaker or I am in the passenger side of my manager’s range rover. I am grind mode! Or maybe I am meant to be chauffeured?

The last time I swore I’d never drink was after a night of…
This one night, we thought we was drinking Grey Goose but I think they was serving us well vodka. I threw up my eyeballs. Like literally out their sockets for like four hours straight. I prayed and promised never to drink again. That rarely happens to me because I know my limit. But that was the last sneak attack of the century for me. Matter of fact that was the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen!

Future projects and plans…
I plan to follow the lead of my manager Coach K and my favorite producer dude Bangladesh with full trust.

And before I leave I’d like to give a shout out to…
My mom Crystal Blue, Tim Brown, Coach K, Yusef, Bangladesh, Fiona Simone, Hollyweerd, Grip Plyas, Proton, Jaspects, Corinne, Kesh of Dymond Wayz, Marvie Flay, MJQ’s, Standard, Decatur Dan, Dwayne, Dante, Torri, Nasir, Shitty, Lucia, my Sponge Bob pillow, Eniya, all my family back home. Muffy loves you.

$25 for Jam Day

$25 Reggae Day

VIP passes available for both days. Can’t beat these prices with a bat.

Visit http://www.jazzreggaefest.com to buy tickets!

If you need more convincing just…

Eric Lau is creating a new definition for the producer in today’s industry. With his first major release, New Territories, the British-born beat junkie is showing that he is on his way to the top.  Lau, though fairly new to the game, is definitely going to be one of those peeps you name-drop. Separated by gallons of ocean, I recently spoke with Lau about his newfound success, growing as a producer, and why there will never be another Dilla.

How is the music scene different in the UK compared to the States?

The UK is obviously a lot smaller so there are less supporters of music than in the US, especially for independent music. I feel the mentality is very different over in the UK, in terms of work ethic and competition. In the States you have so many more people competing that it makes people hustle and step up their game up more. Over in the UK there is a scene, however we are far less direct in our hustle. That’s just British people; we are more reserved and less hype, which can be a good or bad thing.

You have a lot of folks below the radar on the album; who would you like to work with in the future?

God willing, Jay Electronica—I really wanna help him save rap in some way. Muhsinah—she has such great energy, would love to be part of that. Erykah Badu—she has been setting such a great example for hip-hop and for me personally. I would love to shape something for her one day. Bilal. D’Angelo, Elzhi Eska, Heidi Vogal, Annabel. Fatima Szjerdene, Joy Silva.

You have a similar style to Dilla and Sa-Ra; have you ever worked with them in the past, or is it just a coincidence?

I haven’t worked with Sa-Ra yet but I’m definitely open…I feel that if you are to achieve greatness then you start out by looking at the best; Kobe Bryant I’m sure studied Michael Jordan’s game and took some elements, same with Magic Johnson. After a while he [Kobe] has come into his own and has his own signature style. The main fundamentals are there but his interpretation of a fade-away jump shot is obviously different to Jordan’s. I’m sure me and a lot of other producers would say Dilla set the bar. Once we master the fundamentals then maybe we can take things to a level near him. 

Dilla has recently gained a large following due to his untimely death.  In terms of success, Does Eric Lau want to be the Dilla of the UK?

There will never be another Dilla like there will never be another James Brown or Marvin Gaye. However, after James Brown, there was Prince and after Marvin there was D’Angelo. I am definitely inspired by what Dilla did. His music, the way he carried himself and his work ethic. So in terms of being the Dilla of the UK, I will never be. The one thing that I want to do is try and get a Dilla-like work ethic so I can become the best I can be. Same as Madlib, Pete Rock, Premier and 9th Wonder. I want to be doing that.

For more visit: http://www.myspace.com/ericlaumusic