PHILADELPHIA, START PREPARING NOW… ANOTHER AMAZING SUMMER PARTY IS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE AT OUR HEADQUARTERS, AKA “THE MAD DECENT MAUSOLEUM”. IF YOU WERE AT THE MAD DECENT BLOCK PARTY YOU ALREADY KNOW THE KIND OF MADNESS YOU’RE IN FOR. THIS WILL BE NO EXCEPTION, ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THIS WILL BE INSIDE THE MAUSOLEUM (12th and Spring Garden) WHERE WE’LL BE PUMPING A/C, BEER, VODKA AND BASS INTO YOUR SUNDAY NIGHT!
NOW LETS TALK ABOUT THE LINE UP, YES? THE MF’N GOLDENBOY/KING/MASTER/PRODIGY OF DUBSTEP, ALL THE WAY FROM ENGLAND WE HAVE THE MAN THE MYTH THE LEGEND… SKREAM!!! AND IF THAT’S NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE YOUR HEAD EXPLODE DON’T FRET. WE’VE GOT MY BOSS AKA PHILADELPHIA/THE WORLD’S SUPERSTAR DINOSAUR DJ… DIPLO!!! THE MAN IS CANCELING DATES IN L.A. JUST TO BE HERE ROCKING WITH ALL YOU AMAZING PHILLY PARTY PEOPLE!
NOW I WANT EVERYONE TO BE AWARE THAT THIS IS OUR 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY HERE AT MAD DECENT HQ SO OF COURSE WE’LL HAVE PLEEEENNNTTTTTYYYYY OF PARTY FAVORS FOR YOU, OUR LOYAL FANS AND FRIENDS. WE’RE TALKING FREE BEER AND VODKA DRINKS ALL NIGHT LONG, RECORDS, T-SHIRTS, CD’S, MIXTAPES AND ANYTHING/EVERYTHING ELSE YOU CAN HANDLE! BASICALLY, YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS PARTY… SCRATCH THAT, YOU CANT MISS THIS PARTY… YOU’LL CRY IF YOU MISS THIS PARTY… TRUST ME.
I’m the worst self promoter, but i’m playing at 2am tonight. If you’re in Mexico City come out, it’s gonna be nuddz!! Since Wes always buggs me if i don’t post a tune with a show, here’s an old unfinished blend that i just started playing again and i don’t think i ever put on the net, at 2:00 mins it falls apart, but its a nice set ender, i’ll fix it in a bit.
Last weekend was such a whirlwind that the Mad Decent family is still catching up. We ran up and down the East Coast chasing festivals, firing supersoakers into sweaty crowds, and making grandmas and babies dance.
Baltimore seemed like the center of it all, as it hosted two monstrous street parties - Artscape and Whartscape, and the monumental Unruly Records 15th anniversary jumpoff, My Crew Be Unruly.
The annual Artscape Festival was first on the Mad Decent agenda, as Friday saw performances from South Rakkas Crew, DJ Blaqstarr, and our boy Dave Nada.
We then trooped down to the epicenter of Baltimore Club and House music, the Paradox.
A couple thousand people made their way to an all-night party featuring such luminaries as Scottie B, DJ Class, King Tutt and Stretch Armstrong; new-school giants like Tittsworth and Say Wut; and of course K-Swift and Diplo. Class held it down on the mic as Scottie and Swift traded turns on the tables; then Class handed the mic to Hollertronix MC Elixir, who kept the crowd pumped while Diplo and DJ Sega tag-teamed. It was a monster night that included breakfast in the club!
After getting a modicum of sleep, we hit the streets again to catch the daytime festivities on Saturday. The Wham City-curated Whartscape event, originally conceived as an alternative to Artscape, is now a full-fledged Baltimore institution in its own right. This year’s Whartscape included performances from Beach House, Matmos, Ponytail, Black Dice, Girltalk, and a million others.
Before we left, local Youtube talkshow host Ed Schrader managed to sneak in a mini-interview with Diplo:
We returned to Artscape to catch up with Stretch Armstrong, laying down a flawless set of pre-’88 hip-hop, perfect for daytime at a summer festival.
As Stretch ended, Scottie B dropped some tunes and DJ Class got on the mic, hyping the crowd like a one-man Crooklyn Clan. Then K-Swift got on the decks and simply killed it. She had a whole parking lot full of Club fans of all ages going insane. As the beats permeated the Baltimore air, the crowd swelled more and more, with Swift working as the musical pied piper (no R Kelly-o). Rye Rye and her clan crazy-legged on stage, sending the audience into a frenzy.
Needless to say, the never-shook Captain Decent was, well, a little shook. But as if the favor of saving him “Tony’s Back” wasn’t enough, K-Swift got on the mic to pay tribute to the man: “Diplo is the future of Club music! Y’all need to give it up!”
(photo by Shane Macaulay)
With those words, Diplo knew Baltimore had his back, and he had the crowd rocking and line-dancing for an hour and a half. Blaqstarr, Class, and the ever-dancing Rye Rye kept the energy strong.
We wrapped the night up by checking out Saturday’s Whartscape headliners, Baltimore psych-rockers Celebration, at club Sonar.
On Sunday it was time to hop on the train and head to New York’s Central Park for the Mad Fools bonanza, an ill collabo between the Fool’s Gold and Mad Decent labels. In the “handing out shit that is very useful” department, Fool’s Gold and Mad Decent distributed thousands of towels and water-pistols to help stave off the sweltering heat. While those with the most endurance secured spots in the park early, by mid-day there was an impenetrable line trying to get in to sneak a peek at performances from A-Trak, Blaqstarr, Mz Streamz, Kid Cudi, Diplo and Santogold. Even Fab 5 Freddy and Juice Crew legend Craig G were there.
Never a fan of sleeping, the Mad Decent and Fool’s Gold families hosted an afterparty at the new Manhattan spot, Santo’s Party House. Props to Fake Blood, Nick Catchdubs, Mad Decent/Fool’s Gold fence-sitters Jokers of the Scene and everyone else who dropped mind-altering sets. The MVP award goes to Mz Streamz and her dancers who took over the dancefloor and made the party extra-live.
DJ Sega - Steve Angello “Be (Philly Club mix)” at Mad Fools afterparty at Santo’s:
At some point after this, we all collapsed. Shouts to Chris Brooks, Shawn Caesar, Juiceboxxx, Will Roc, DJ Contra, House of Dangerkat, The Death Set, Dust La Rock, Armand Van Helden, Puja Senari, Josh Sisk, Emily Rabbit, April Camlin, Mark Brown and all of Wham City, and everyone else who played, came out, showed love, and made this weekend so memorable!
Rest In Peace Club Queen K-Swift 1980-2008.
You will forever be in our hearts.
Pictures of the madness at Man Recoring stage at Melt Festival are up on the Man Recordings Blog, Check out Bonde Do Role and Crookers tearing it up, making us proud. We also got a new mix from their new “hot ticket”. In their words “new Sci-Fi Afro-Brasil project by Vienna, Austria based bass king STEREOTYP. The mixtape features classic cuts by KU BO plus unreleased and upcoming tracks. Expect KU BO Vinyl #3 to drop on Man Recordings in autumn, followed by a full album in February 09.”
50 Cent - This Is For You - Cdr
G Unit Ft Mavado - Let It Go - G Unit
Aidonia - Putty - Cdr
Rqm - Ms Pacman (Dj Chrnobyl Remix) - Exploited
Sabrina Maheiros - Connexao (Sofrito Remix) - Far Out Records
Joker - Holly Brook Park - Capsize
M83 - Kim And Jesse - Emi
THEN…..
DJ CRAZE IN THE MIX
It’s with the deepest regret, the heaviest heart, and in a state of an almost paralyzing shock that we’re to report that the Queen of Baltimore Club Music died last night due to a drowning accident in the swimming pool at her home. This information is coming directly from our family at Unruly, and as soon as a more detailed explanation is available, we’ll be sure to pass that info along.
Quote:
Will, heart and faith, are all of the traits that this female, Baltimore native, ascertained, in order to excel in a male dominated, hustle-minded, fast paced industry. Khia Edgerton a.k.a the “Club Queen K-Swift†was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland on October 19,1980. Growing up, she had many influences to help drive her into what some might say is a successful music career and others her destiny. Her influences were Cocoa Channel and Jazzy Joyce along with her father who had an immense passion for music. K-Swift began DJing at the age of 11; now 14 years later, she’s not only Baltimore’s only female DJ, but she’s also the only female Mix Show Coordinator in the country! Her desires to become a professional, well-known DJ were met with numerous obstacles. She received a lot of skepticism from males however; she never let that phase her. Her formula for brushing off all the haters was to just do her own thing and stay focused. Long hours spent working to enhance her DJ skills paid off.
At the age of 18, she was offered an internship at Radio One of Baltimore; 92Q Jams. From this point on, her will, faith, and formula quickly began to turn her yesterday’s dream into a reality. That same year she began producing shows for the station, the first being the Mark Young Show, followed by the Neke @ Night Show. Two years later, her impressive and consistent performance as an intern landed her a job with 92Q, where she officially became the first female DJ on the “Qâ€. She began DJing for a show that she and an on-air personality, Neke produced, which was called Ladies Night. That show was a big hit, therefore her new offer to be an on air personality was inevitable. After becoming an on-air personality, she then was presented with an opportunity to mix for the “Big Phat Morning Showâ€. Benefiting from that opportunity and growing as a DJ, she held this position for two years. She then decided to continue to expand her horizons, as she switched from part time to full time. Once she became a full time DJ she began taking over the night show from 6-10 on the Q with her co-host Reggie Reg. Not a surprise that this show became the number one night show in Baltimore. Oh, and it doesn’t stop there, she just doesn’t stop. As changes were being made at the station she remained as the late night DJ, now with co-host Squirrel Wyde, which is currently the number one night show in Baltimore.
K-Swift plays at all the hottest clubs & parties in Baltimore; her fan base is beyond celebrity status. She mixes for all the high school parties as well as in the mall for Downtown Locker Room a popular urban retailer of footwear, apparel, and music. Working at the Q opened numerous doors for K-Swift; she’s done big shows with HOT artist like Paula Campbell and Lil Mo. She‘s a member of the hottest DJ’s in the country known as the Violator All Star DJ’s, as well as the all female squad MURDA MAMIS. Her expertise as a DJ, and her career as an on air personality aren’t the limits of her capabilities. She is also the proud owner of her own Graphics Company, and Production and Management Company (Club Queen Entertainment), while simultaneously selling her own mix Cd’s on her website and in stores across the United States. In addition to all those hats that she wears, she’s also the ONLY female Record Pool Director in Baltimore for Direct Drive Record Pool. K-Swift is just unstoppable. She’s unique and unpredictable. She always bringing the hottest and latest music, not only does she bring hype to the party through her mixing skills, but her aggressive voice on the mike boosts the entire experience. Her love for what she does along with her caring and outgoing personality has taken her to the top, but she’s never going to settle. There’s so much more out there that she would like to pursue. Her goal right now is to go on tour with a major artist, and excel at being an entrepreneur. K-Swift is definitely a woman that the music industry doesn’t want to sleep on, she conquers any and all obstacles that come her way, and her drive should let you know that she can’t stop, and won’t stop, until she’s done it all.
She carried a mysterious, almost mythic quality about herself and her craft to some of us club music fanatics outside of Baltimore. We’ve always known that she had the ability to make and break artists in her city, and that she held it down on 92Q radio, but until this past weekend, I don’t think we knew the first thing about her. Her Dj sets at the My Crew Be Unruly party at the Paradox, and at the Artscape festival the next day (with DJ Class) were nothing short of incredible. Friday night at the Dox was so devastating in fact, that her jaw dropping set actually had Diplo nervous about following her, and I’ve NEVER heard him admit anything similar of the sort before then. He and I literally talked about her all day yesterday. The conversation was something to the effect of “Isn’t K Swift the most awesome person in the history of awesomeness?!” and then we’d compare notes about how effortlessly cool, and what an immensely talented dj she was. Shawn Caesar says she couldn’t stop talking about how excited she was to have been spinning with Diplo, and how much she was looking forward to working with all of us in the nearest future…WTF? THIS ISN’T FAIR!
Shawn, Scottie and the rest of the Unruly fam, I have no idea what yall are going through…especially Shawn because I know you were as close as family to each other. Your loss is our loss, and what this beautiful and talented woman brought to the table can not ever be replaced. She was a pioneer in her field and she expanded that vista almost every day to include more and more successes. I’m so sorry, Baltimore. We love you!
Rest In Peace K Swift, The Queen Of Baltimore and Club Music worldwide.
All Vancouver gets in the way of World nights is a few dancehall weeklys and ESL raves (which are just world people, not world music). It hurts to see all great partys going on in London, including this one starting this weekend. They got a blazing hot free mixtape for the launch party which is also FREE!!!! Gabriel send me pictures, so i can photoshop myself into them.
Heatwave - Immediate Sounds Vol.1
Tracklist:
1. Beenie Man & So Solid Crew - Yagga Yo
2. Ms Dynamite & Menta - Ramp
3. El-B - Shorty (Steppas Remix)
4. Glamour Murphy - What The Woman Want (Acapella)
5. QQ - Screechie
6. Stacy - Let Meh Know
7. Kyla & Paleface - Do You Mind (Crazy Cousins Remix)
8. Geeneus & Zinc - I Try (Instrumental)
9. Vybz Kartel - Stop Gwaan Stush (Acapella)
10. Top Cat & Double 99 - Ripgroove
11. Durrty Goodz - Pum Pum Stealer
12. Tubby - Turbo Shandy
13. Destra & Dizzee Rascal - Flex (Tim Turbo Refix)
14. Plastic Gangsters - Rock To The Rhythm
15. Shabba Ranks - Love Punaany Bad (Baby G Remix)
16. Elephant Man - Nobody Nobody
17. Notch - Nuttin’ Nuh Go So (RCola Remix)
18. Soundclash feat Red Fox & Screechie Dan - Pum Pum Shorts
When our friends collide this is what happens. This is this first mix in a series for Mishka. Check out the tracklisting etc at the Mishka Bloglin, and Jokers just updated their Myspace so get over there too.
yEAh-Ur!!!
Get to the park, eat some dawgs, get that free music/ sweat/ beer/ heat in the city magic moment thing that only Summerstage can offer, then come on down to Santo’s Party House for the afters. Also free if you RSVP to: madfoolsatsantos@gmail.com NO PLUS ONES PLEASE. otherwise $5
also DONT FORGET- we got a gang of free tees to give away in the park, so get there early!
shout to everybody doing the BAL->NY trip, this weekend is gonna rule.
