Lately there’s been a debate over hip-hop’s vital signs: dead for years, alive and well, comatose…. While the state of hip-hop in the US all depends on who’s taking its pulse, it looks to be in good health elsewhere in the world.

From graffiti to breaking to beats, from the UK to Germany to Russia, like it or not, all things hip-hop have exploded in Europe. And anyone who says they’re not doing it well isn’t paying close enough attention.

Take for example rapper and producer Sam The Kid. Born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal, Sam has built upon the foundation of a traditionally American art form to create something that is at once uniquely Portuguese and universally enjoyable.

Frank151 recently had the opportunity to speak with Sam The Kid at Frank’s Chop Shop (where else do you go on your first visit to NYC?).

Interview after the jump…

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March 15, 2008 for Frank 151

“Not much was ever written on the topic of 52 Hand Blocks, but its previous name managed to get some ink in several publications. Jail House Boxing (a.k.a. Jail House Rock) first showed up in an article on Martial Arts in prison called, “KARATE IN PRISON: Menace, or Means of Spiritual Survival?,” by Anne Darling and James Perryman in Black Belt Magazine, Vol. XII, #7, from July, 1974.

An inmate described a style of boxing based on the Comstock prison. The term Jail House was universal in speaking about prison fighting styles and the name of each prison was used to separate each form. Each prison had its own environment and the styles were used to meet the challenge of survival in that prison system.

During the late 20’s another term for 52 was being used to describe the fight; “Stato,” which means the fight from upstate New York. Elders in my community remember this era and spoke about the styles of boxing that were born during the Chittlin’ circuit, a period in boxing history where Black Boxers could not compete for the Title but fought each other throughout the South, Midwest and up and down the East Coast.

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NPR’s Michele Norris did an interview this morning with Sunny Abberton, talking about his flick Bra Boys, violence in the Australian surf scene, and the murder trial his brothers became involved in during the documentary’s filming.  Check it out here — Norris is a great interviewer, and Abberton gives her thoughtful answers.  Worth the listen.

About a week ago, the West Coast super group Strong Arm Steady stopped by Frank’s Chop Shop to parlay with us a little…

L-R: Krondon, Mitchy Slick, Todd Nisbet of FRANK151, Phil da Agony

We caught up with Phil da Agony, Krondon and Mitchy Slick, as they dropped knowledge on us about their current projects, touring and the new album. Follow the jump to peep more pics and read the conversation.

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Rising up from Baltimore and Pittsburgh’s bullet-riddled streets like a prophetic junkie, Murdaland is a blood-soaked blessing for anyone who loves crime stories as much as Frank151 does.    

Recently named Best Literary Journal 2007 by Baltimore’s City Paper, the mag collects some of the best hardcore crime fiction around, from both undiscovered talent and highly respected authors; the second issue also featured a first hand nonfiction narrative, from an anonymous US military official currently stationed in Iraq.  

Frank’s been digging the first two books pretty hard – we loaned our copy of the first out so much, the cover’s probably fallen off by now.   Needless to say, we jumped at the chance when Murdaland Editor-in-Chief Michael Langnas took time out to sit down with Frank151 and talk shop… which apparently meant talking about beer commercials, Ernest Hemingway and “festering lust” in an Olive Garden.  Enjoy.      (more…)

Time for another edition of our CUT by CUT feature — a conversation with the notorious Chop Shop barbers about the tunes they’ve been clippin’ to lately.  Always unique, always insightful.  [Click here to read the last edition.] 

FRANK151: What have you guys been playing the last couple weeks?

MR. BEE: Well, everybody loves Santogold right now.  We’ve been playing a lot of Santogold.  We got this really new compilation, An England Story — it’s 25 years of the history of MC’s in England.

FRANK151: Is it the one from Heatwave?  We posted that mixtape, plus videos for a lot of the tracks, like a month ago.

MR. BEE: Oh, no way!  That got by me.  I just saw the cover in a record store, and I thought, “That’s me.”

FRANK151: It’s from The Heatwave, this amazing dancehall, dub and grime site in the UK.  They do podcasts and stuff too.  It’s a great site.

MR. BEE: My favorite track on there is London Posse’s “Money Mad”.  Basically, Big Audio Dynamite — you know, Mick Jones [of the Clash] and Don Letts — were hanging out in some club in London and saw these kids rapping [including UK legend Rodney P].  So they’re like, “Yo, come on tour with us.  We’re Big Audio Dynamite.”  And these kids didn’t even have a group.  They were just kids, just kind of spitting, doing their reggae/hip hop thing.  So they called it a group, real quick.  Next thing you know, they were on tour with Big Audio Dynamite.  They were about 14 years old, and they got this track, “Money Mad“…  You know, Mad Lion was known in  New York City as the Jamaican hip-hop guy, but these guys were doing it way before him.  They’re sort of the foundation to that reggae/hip hop fusion.  So that’s my track, man.  I love that one.

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Frank151 was lucky enough to be a part of UK grime icon Dizzee Rascal’s return visit to NYC.  Here he is at the Chop Shop, enjoying a trim from New York barber icon Mr Bee…

New York heads had been eagerly anticipating Dizzee’s return for what’s seemed like ages – and his performances did not disappoint.  Well, OK, the first one did sort of, but that wasn’t his fault.

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So… about a month ago, Frank posted a short article about an encounter the US Navy had with Iranian speedboats, and some radio pranksters who almost turned the situation into full-on military engagement. We got all our information for the story from US news sources and the Navy’s own press materials.

Turns out, they were full of shit. We probably shouldn’t be surprised.

A friend of ours, Abe Klein, spent the last few years workin’ the seven seas as a mariner. He got in touch to set us straight.

Inexplicably, you won’t find the true story in any other American media sources (except an obscure maritime blog, gCaptain) ; they’re all still reporting that the “Filipino Monkey” is a pseduonym for maritime radio hecklers operating in the Middle East — supposedly Iranians. In fact, there’s pretty much nothing true about that statement.

Follow the jump to learn the real deal.

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Our good friends at No Mas just gave us the heads up on their new online video series, The Undercard.   Check the premiere episode, featuring Kid Chocolate — one of NYC’s hardest hitters:

Each new episode will explore the hidden stories of the boxing world; untold tales of “up and coming prospects, down and out train wrecks, unsung cut men, promoters on the make, refs not on the take, Vegas and AC late night shake and bake.”  Sounds promising, doesn’t it?  Frank will be tuning in regularly. 

MF Grimm’s new graphic memoir is out.  The book tells his life story — from Sesame Street to New York streets, from bullets to jail, to freedom and starting up Day By Day Entertainment — all in comic book style.   Now he’s doing the rounds promoting the book…  but who’d predict he’d be all over public radio?  His interview on NPR’s Fresh Air is worth repeat listens:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16074125