November 18, 7pm / $10

Water Street Lounge / 66 Water Street btw Main and Dock / 11201

Click Here for More Info!

October 17, 8pm / $20

Lincoln Center Theater / 150 W 65th St / 10023

Click Here for More Info!

October 15- October 26

Studio Museum / 144 W 125th St. / 10027

studiomuseum.org

October 3 – 19, 7pm  / $12

The New Victory Theater / 299 West 42nd Street / Fl 10 / 10036

Click Here for More Info!

The show originally scheduled for 10/1 at the Nokia Theatre has moved to B.B. King on 10/2. All Nokia Theatre tickets will be honored at the 10/2 B.B. King’s show.

October 2, 8pm / $38

B.B. King Blues Club / 237 W 42nd St. / 10036

Click Here for More Info!

Sept. 23, 8 pm / $39.50

Blender Theater @ Gramercy / 127 E 23rd St. / 10010
www.irvingplaza.com

When Around the Blog debuted in December 2007, Adam’s World was the first blog to be profiled. Adam has been unstoppable ever since. Between his aptitude for discovering artists just before they make it big, and his innate knack for self-promotion, the sky’s the limit for this bounteous blogger. We thought it was a good time to check in with Adam and get the scoop from the man who’s got the whole world in his hands.

What has been going on in Adam’s World since we last spoke? Tons. It’s been non-stop. One of the biggest revelations is that a handful of my former Artists Of The Week have landed on various MTV channels. Substantial’s video for It’s You (I Think) earned a spot in rotation on MTV2’s Sucka Free, Rabbi Darkside was a coach on Made, Seme Rock made a brief cameo on that same episode of Made, and Rue Melo’s This Is My House just premiered on mtvU on July 21st. Rabbi D has dubbed my endorsement “The Adam B Midas Touch.” I’m just really proud that my people are doing big things.

You’ve always been on the cutting edge of exposing new artists. What expansions has your blog seen? New features or recurring columns?

I’ve actually added a handful of new features to the site this year including a few monthly columns that people have been loving. There’s From A to B 90’s Style where I go back and forth talking about 90’s music videos with my good friend, and fellow journalist, Bear Frazer. I also have The Vibe Report, where I give a monthly wrap up of the things I felt were important from the month that was, and my most recent addition to the site, Tales From The Discount Bin, which is a monthly look at the interesting entertainment related things I find in discount bins and dollar stores.

What about the rest of your empire?

When it comes to other media, I now have Adam B TV in full swing, which features video clips from both my radio show and my various travels in the music world, and I’ve also started uploading sections of my radio show, The Adam B Experience, making them available for both stream and download on Adam’s World. After the awesome feature here back in December quite a few other media outlets have taken notice of Adam’s World. The New York Times has linked to me and one of their writers recently contacted me to interview me for a story he’s putting together on bloggers. Fairfield Magazine did a two page feature on me a few months back and I received a nice mention in Beyond Race magazine, as well. Finally, Gawker got on the Adam Bernard bandwagon for a quick second, although it wasn’t in the most flattering of ways. I looked at it as a positive, though. Hey, at least they know my name, right?

Obviously, getting the New York Times to link to your blog is a massive coup. Who else has approached you after reading Adam’s World ?

One really interesting door that was opened to me thanks to Adam’s World was at Jive Records when they asked me to help them start up Usher’s blog. It ended up just a one month project, but I can definitely see it leading to others. The Usher gig led me to realize quite a few important people are frequenting my site. This was reiterated even more so when I wrote a story about how we need to stop focusing on first week album sales. Not only was that article, First Week Phonies, syndicated by a number of other websites, including at least one indie label site, one of the top marketing people at a major label sent me an email telling me how much he enjoyed it. How amazing is that?

How do you go about drawing new readers to your site?

I have actually become a pretty fantastic shameless self-promoter. I just had t-shirts printed up that I’m giving to the artists I work with. The front says “I’m a B-Lister” and the back says “are you down with Adam B?” with my blog’s address underneath. Since Adam B is my radio name, “B-Listers” is the tag I’ve given to the awesome people who love my show and what I do. So far the shirts have been a hit. Look for them on your favorite artists!

What would you say to a new writer looking to gather clips or simply share ideas?

I have been spreading the blogging word. In fact, I spoke at two high school journalism classes in Stamford, CT, earlier this year and one of the biggest things I tried to stress to the students was that thanks to blogging they can start writing now and hone their voice sooner rather than later. I’m looking forward to going back and speaking to them again to let them know about all the doors my own blog has opened for me, many of which have been completely unexpected.

What’s next for Adam B?

I honestly have no idea what the next year holds, but whenever a new opportunity presents itself you can be sure I’m going to explore it.

adambernard.blogspot.com

Have you discovered the next big thing?
Post a comment below and let us know all about it!

Though he currently hails from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Butta Verses (a.k.a. John Cullen), is New York through and through. A “lyrically conscientious” rapper, Cullen was raised in the Boogie Down Bronx, in 10465 – where he picked up hip-hop from freestyle rap battles and local ciphers. Uncertain if this was the life he wanted, Butta relocated to Florida – to pursue surfing. As fate would have it, Cullen fell in with local MCs and realized he could no longer battle his destiny. He banded together a collective of prospective artists and DJs, who christened themselves the “Glee Club Detention” and got a mix tape to DJ Maseo of De La Soul. Maseo was so impressed he signed Butta to his Bear Mountain Records label. “As a kid that’s what I used to say to myself,” explains Cullen. “If I could be in any crew, I would be in Native Tongues with De La and Tribe.” Butta’s official debut came in 2004, on the track “No” for De La Soul’s “The Grind Date.” Following this success, things became smooth as you know what. Butta began opening for John Legend, Common, and of course, De La Soul. His career has been steadily picking up steam ever since. With the new single “Jones in Ya Bones” in his pocket and De La Soul’s endorsement under his belt, Butta’s verses are likely to be heard for some time.

www.buttaverses-online.com
www.beatsandrhymesonline.com

Check out more of New York’s music scene at coolinyourcode.com/category/segments/vocal_code

Spit us a verse! Post a comment below tell us your rhymes!

The roots of hip hop can be traced back to the South Bronx where a handful of influential artists created a sound revolution. Grandmaster Caz was in on the action at an early stage and his contribution to the music genre can be heard throughout music today. Caz created a sound unlike any other and worked with some of hip hop’s finest along the way.

Hip Hop’s granddaddy is a DJ by the name of Kool Herc. Born Clive Campbell in Jamaica, Herc’s eventual migration to the US led to a cultural revolution. Grandmaster Caz was so influenced by Her c that he picked up the mantle and helped create the world of hip hop. Caz was the first to rhyme and cut simultaneously and his work with the Cold Crush Brothers set the foundation for many of today’s hip hop phenoms. “Herc showed us the way, he brought the party to us, to you. A whole new world opened up,” says Caz, “We could laugh and we could dance. That’s what hip hop is all about.” Herc began to DJ with his father’s sound system and developed new techniques that sampled sounds and mixed existing records. Grandmaster Caz recounts, “There were DJs around at that time, but they were all playing disco. That was the music of the day. Most people in The Bronx couldn’t identify with that, so we wanted to have our own little disco.”
Caz pays homage to his legacy and The Bronx with the Hush Hip Hop Tours, which brings New York natives and tourists alike to the Boogie Down to learn about the humble beginnings of what is today a billion dollar industry. “We need people to celebrate the fact that this culture was born here.” Cedar Park in 10453 was the epicenter of the phenomenon that still reigns supreme today. Says Caz, “Segewick Ave and Cedar…this is where the magic happened. It’s the birthplace of hip hop. Herc brought the music outdoors, here, so that more people could listen to and experience it.” To recognize his achievements, Hush Tours is working with the City of New York to dedicate a bench to Kool Herc in Cedar Park. “It’s time to pay some respect to our history.”

www.hushtours.com

One of hip hop’s most influential groups, the Wu-Tang Clan, started on Staten Island 15 years ago. CiNYC Host Shirley got to hang in 10304 with SI’s own Inspectah Deck and BK’s Masta Killa.

Hip hop may have started in the Bronx, but when it landed on SI, Wu-Tang raised it to another level. When asked about their experiences with Wu-Tang over the years, Inspectah Deck and Masta Killa look at each other and shake their heads. “We’re still mystified,” said Inspectah Deck.

“It hasn’t really dawned on me, the effect we’ve had on so many people worldwide. I take everything as a blessing.” Masta Killa said.

Wu-Tang lets their words and music speak for themselves. “The mind is the most powerful weapon you’ve got. The biggest gun anyone may have is not nearly as powerful as one of my thoughts,” said Deck.

See how the streets of New York helped shape one of the most influential rappers to hit the airwaves.