First Look: Andre 3000 on set of new Jimi Hendrix movie "All Is By My Side"

Although it may be "unauthorized" at the moment, it appears that the filming of the new Jimi Hendrix biopic All Is By My Side starring Andre 3000, one-half of the Grammy winning hip hop duo OutKast, is underway. It appears that the rapper/actor has already begun filming in Ireland. The feature film is written and directed by John Ridley and will follow Hendrix’s years in England, from 1966 to 1967, when he put together his debut album, Are You Experienced.

A few weeks ago Experience Hendrix, LLC. released a statement to the press stating that the filmmakers did not have official permission to move forward with the film nor did they have the right to use any of the musician's songs.

"Various media outlets have recently published accounts that indicate a feature-length Jimi Hendrix biographical film is nearing production. Experience Hendrix, LLC, the family-owned company entrusted with safeguarding the legacy of Jimi Hendrix and administrator of the Jimi Hendrix music and publishing catalogue, has made it known many times in the past that no such film, were it to include original music or copyrights created by Jimi Hendrix, can be undertaken without its full participation. "Experience Hendrix CEO Janie Hendrix, sister of Jimi Hendrix, and the EH board have not ruled out a 'biopic' in the future though producing partners would, out of necessity, have to involve the company from the inception of any such film project if it is to include original Jimi Hendrix music or compositions."

Let's hope everyone can come to an agreement because this will be an amazing biopic starring someone we have all felt was born for this role.

Images courtesy of GIGWISE

Filmwerk :: Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee Feature Documentary (Development Fundraiser)

Here it is folks! The feature documentary that we've waited decades for! But wait, it's not done yet. The project is actually about 25% percent complete but still needs $50,000 more dollars to get the film shot and edited. With Ossie & Ruby's achievements in love (sustained marriage for 57 years), art (pioneers in black theater) and activism (always using their influence to impact change in America for nearly a century), this a fundraiser we can all be proud of.

Life’s Essentials with Ruby Dee, a documentary style film about love, art and activism, tells the story of one of the most enduring couples of our times, Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee and told through the eyes and lens of their grandson, filmmaker Muta'Ali.

Based on candid questions, revealing conversations, and never-before-seen family archival material, Life’s Essentials with Ruby Dee shares the wisdom of the ages with this present generation and carries the legacy of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee forward in history for the first time in feature documentary form.

With this story being told through the lens of their grandson, an innate hunger to learn everything possible about Ossie & Ruby's lives and apply it to today's fight to preserve love, art and activism is always present.

View the amazing trailer below and Visit Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis Documentary Kickstarter page for more info and to pledge a donation.

*At the time of this blog post there were 37 days left to fund the project via Kickstarter.

Featured Video :: INSPIRATION from I Love Vinyl

Simply put this new I LOVE VINYL video puts a smile on my face! #inspiration

Directed by Captain Blyth

Edited by Brendan Ferrer and Nathan Morris

Music: Little Milton

Additional Love donated by: José James, Tony Borden, Tina Kissey Asplund, Shawn Schwartz, Robb Popp, Tommy Dejesus, Madame X, Halcyon Records, and Le Poisson Rouge

more info at ilovevinyl.org

follow on twitter at ilovevinyl

Laptop-free since 2009

(3rd anniversary party at the gallery at lpr in nyc this Saturday, May 26)

Filmwerk :: Big Fun In The Big Town - 1986 Hip Hop Documentary

A Dutch film exploring rap music in 1986, and features Mr. Magic and the Juice Crew, Doug E. Fresh, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Grandmaster Flash and some 'unsigned hype'. Armed with nothing more than a camera crew and vague understanding of the English language, Bram Van Splunteren;s fearless excursion into the world of American hip hop led him to the gritty landscapes of Harlem, South Bronx, and the Lower East Side during the peak years of the 1980s crack epidemic. As many would come to learn, this backdrop proved to be the incubator to what became a breeding ground for hip hop pioneers.

Van Splunteren happened to be in the right place at the right time. The amazing scenes contained herein will blow the minds of any self respecting fan of rap music; a 17 year old LL Cool J greeting Van Splunteren from the door step of his grandmother's apartment (where he still lived), the Mystery Crew out of Chicago who happened to be trying to snag a meeting with Russell Simmons outside the small first offices of Def Jam on the same day Van Splunteren happened to be interviewing him, DMC freestyling to and unreleased beat on the cassette deck of his brand new and first Cadillac, a still skinny Biz Markie beatboxing for Roxanne Shante on stage - Van Splunteren managed to capture so many incredible moments in hip hop history and really encapsulated the era perfectly. Amazingly, the film that captured the New York rap scene during its most vital moments never received a proper debut in the city until almost 25 years after it premiered.

That changed in 2002 when Dutch magazine Vara Gids named Big Fun as one of the top ten hip-hop films of all-time. The film was shown at the Maysles Film Institute in Harlem in 2010 with Van Splunteren in attendance along with a handful of hip hop luminaries. And now, Five Day Weekend has secured the rights to issue this documentary for the first time ever to American audiences in a physical format. Big Fun In The Big Town is a must own documentary for any true rap historian, and a window into a time and place many of us can now only learn about through study. Travel back to where it all began and relive the inspiring struggle of hip hop music all over again. Amazon

SADE: Bring Me Home Live 2011 - Blu-Ray, DVD/CD

Last year I had the pleasure of seeing SADE live in concert for the first time. It was an unforgettable experience and literally the BEST CONCERT EVER! It left me thinking that there is such a thing as perfection. Perfection does exist and it's called SADE. After a 10 year hiatus SADE returned to the U. S. for a 54-date tour in support of the platinum selling album Soldier Of Love (Epic Records). From city to city SADE was stunning and angelic as she performed with precision and depth. Her stage presence was warm and inviting and she made us all feel like we were in her English countryside living room for a private concert. The dazzling stage production was visually stunning and was nominated by Pollstar for "Most Creative Stage Production" and "2011 Major Tour of the Year Award."

Right after the concert I went to the record store and purchased the only two concert DVDs that SADE had on the market from previous live shows. I wanted to somehow relive my night even though they weren't the same exact concerts that I had attended, but it was still SADE and I was still very happy. Well, on May 22nd I will have the opportunity to relive my actual live concert night from 2011 with the release of SADE: Bring Me Home Live 2011 (Blue Ray, DVD/CD). Bring Me Home Live 2011 is the complete concert from SADE's sold out tour in 2011. I am so excited to own a piece of music history as well as a piece that I was actually in attendance for.

Bring Me Home Live 2011 features 22 of Sade's biggest hits live. Sade also grants fans a rare, all access look behind-the-scenes with a 20-minute documentary film shot by Sophie Muller, as well as a technical documentary by Stuart Matthewman, and outtakes from the crew. Bring Me Home Live 2011 will be available as a DVD/CD combo and Blue Ray (minus the CD).

Live DVD tracklisting:

1. Soldier Of Love

2. Your Love Is King

3. Skin

4. Kiss Of Life

5. Love Is Found

6. In Another Time

7. Smooth Operator

8. Jezebel

9. Bring Me Home

10. Is It A Crime

11. Love Is Stronger Than Pride

12. All About Our Love

13. Paradise

14. Nothing Can Come Between Us

15. Morning Bird

16. King Of Sorrow

17. The Sweetest Taboo

18. The Moon And The Sky

19. Pearls

20. No Ordinary Love

21. By Your Side

22. Cherish the Day

Live CD tracklisting:

1. Soldier of Love

2. Skin

3. Kiss of Life

4. Love is Found

5. In Another Time

6. Jezebel

7. All About Our Love

8. Paradise/Nothing Can Come Between Us

9. Morning Bird

10. The Moon and the Sky

11. No Ordinary Love

12. By Your Side

13. Cherish the Day

Digital Under:Ground :: Darryl Reeves - Mercury

There's quite a bit of buzz on the net surrounding Miami-born, ATL-based jazz saxophonist and producer Darryl Reeves. Reeves is very well known in and around the music inner circle having toured and recorded with artists like Roy Ayers, Julie Dexter, Frank McComb, Jill Scott, Russell Gunn, Angie Stone, Janelle Monae, Phonte and B.O.B., among others. 2012 finds Reeves releasing his fantastic new album entitled Mercury (Epic Life Music Group). The release of Mercury follows his 2004 release entitled Diary of a Bandstand which featured cutting edge jazz artists Robert Glasper and Russell Gunn.

Mercury successfully blends jazz-fusion, funk, hip-hop and soul creating a cosmic aura reminiscent of the 70s jazz-fusion of Herbie Hancock, Bennie Maupin, Patrice Rushen and Azar Lawrence. All but two tracks are killer originals and the two covers are stellar interpretations of Donald Byrd's classic Think Twice featuring Tennessee-based soul singer Valencia Robinson and Roy Ayers' "under the radar" Everytime I See You featuring Gwenn Bunn. ATL-based soul singer Carmen Rodgers also shows up and shows out on the cosmically soulful and sensuous Dark Matter (featured below). Saxophonist Darryl Reeves delivers a sublime, funky-fresh, adventurous jazz album with rhythm support by Kenny Banks, Jr. on keyboards, Joel Powell on bass and Kenton Bostick on drums.

Purchase album from itunes now!

Filmwerk :: The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (DVD)

During the rise of The Black Power Movement in the 60s and 70s, Swedish Television journalists documented the unfolding cultural revolution for their audience back home, having been granted unprecedented access to prominent leaders such as Angela Davis, the SNCC's Stokely Carmichael, and Black Panthers founders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. Now, after more than 30 years in storage, this never-before-seen footage spanning nearly a decade of Black Power is finally available. Director Goran Hugo Olsson presents this mixtape, highlighting the key figures and events in the movement, as seen in a light completely different than the narrative of the American media at the time. Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, Abiodun Oyewole, John Forte, and Robin Kelley are among the many important voices providing narration and commentary, adding modern perspective to this essential time capsule of African-American history.

In the late '60s, after the assassination of both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, the civil rights movement in America gave way to a more militant breed of activists who were demanding greater self-determination for the African-American community and the right to defend themselves against a system they felt was stacked against them. A number of journalists for Swedish television were fascinated with the rise of the Black Panther Party and the larger Black Power movement, and on several occasions sent film crews to the United State to interview major figures in the African-American militant community. Filmmaker Göran Hugo Olsson has used some of this archival footage as the basis for the documentary THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE: 1967-1975, which includes vintage interviews with Angela Davis, Eldridge Cleaver, Huey P. Newton, Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Louis Farrakhan, and other key figures in the Black Power movement. The newsreels are accompanied by recent interviews with artists, activists, and cultural historians who discuss this volatile period in American history, including Harry Belafonte, Abiodun Oyewole, Melvin Van Peebles, and many others. THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Amazon

Digital Under:Ground :: DJ Conscience pays tribute to Chuck Brown "The Godfather Of Go-Go"

Fans worldwide were saddened by the news yesterday that Chuck Brown "The Godfather Of Go-Go" passed away. So many fans have nothing but fun and fond memories of the Legend Chuck Brown whether they had an opportunity to see him "wind-it-up" live or they listened to the live records and pretended they were actually at the live G0-G0. However you came into contact with Chuck Brown he always made you feel welcome and at home. I remember when I first heard a Chuck Brown song. It was back in the 80's at a house party. The DJ dropped the break from Bustin' Loose and he kept cutting and looping the break. I lost it as did the rest of the house. The roof of the house flew off!

In honor of "The Godfather Of Go-Go" DJ Conscience has put together a fitting tribute featuring Chuck and some of his friends in music and life. Be prepared to get up out of your seats and "wind-it-up" because that's what Chuck would have wanted.

From DJ Conscience:

On May 16 2012, the world lost another legend-Chuck Brown.Chuck Brown, born August 22, 1936, was a guitarist and singer who is affectionately called "the Godfather of Go-Go". Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed in Washington, D.C. in the mid- and late-1970s. Brown is regarded as the fundamental force behind the creation of go-go music. Rest In Peace!! This episode contains music from Chuck Brown, Kindred The Family Soul, Rare Essence, UnCalled4Band, CCB,Yahzarah, Ledisi, Raheem DeVaughn, Mambo Sauce, Wale, Junkyard Band and more.

Click Here To Listen And Download

Digital Under:Ground :: Ahmed Sirour - The After 2AM Sessions LP - Available Now

The full length debut, The After 2AM Sessions LP by musician/composer/producer, Ahmed Sirour comes one year after his debut EP of the same name. Ahmed Sirour has made quite a name for himself (via the internet) as an independent musician/producer. With numerous re:works and collaborations under his belt, Sirour steps out to present his full length LP of original, fully instrumental compositions. For those that are familiar with his 6-track EP, you can expect a fluid continuation of that EP as Sirour has added 6 new songs to complete his debut. A year ago Sirour introduced his soundscape by utilizing the 3 themes of Love: The Romantic, The Erotic, The Spiritual. The LP finds him incorporating those same themes but delving further to create a soundscape that completely transports the listener to another place from their sometimes mundane or chaotic reality.

For those that are hearing Ahmed Sirour's work for the first time you will quickly take note of his stunning musicianship and wonder why haven't I heard of him before? After that you'll begin to take notice of the delicate way he uses time, space and touch to create a listening experience that stimulates the mind, body and soul. You will suddenly become so enveloped that you'll have no choice but to submit to the beautiful romantic soundscape so delicately and masterfully presented to you. Not only will you hear The After 2AM Sessions LP but you will feel it as well. From start to finish. From head to toe. The After 2AM Sessions LP is a journey that should not be rushed. It can not be rushed. It's not meant to be rushed. So sit back, relax and let Ahmed Sirour do the rest.

Purchase The After 2AM Sessions LP for just $12 USD. I can guarantee you it will be worth every dollar. Please support our up and coming indie artists as they are working very hard to create good music for us and for the future of music.

Featured Video :: NEXT: The Future Of T-Shirt Graphics

Here's an inspiring video documenting the global phenomenon of T-shirt culture created and presented by T-WORLD.

You can visit our Apparel website Skoolwerk Apparel here

Bookwerk :: ESSENCE Presents LEDISI: Better Than Alright - Finding Peace, Love & Power

Over the past four decades ESSENCE introduced our readers to inspirational voices such as Susan L. Taylor (In the Spirit; Lessons in Living; All About Love); and New York Times Best-Sellers Iyanla Vanzant ("In the Meantime," and "One Day My Soul Just Opened Up"), Juanita Bynum ("Matters of the Heart"), and Bishop T.D. Jakes ("Before You Do" and "Reposition Yourself"). Now, ESSENCE is pleased to share an incredible new uplifting and empowering voice with its 7.5 million readers and book lovers everywhere. In the tradition of Iyanla Vanzant's blockbuster 1993 book Acts of Faith: Daily Meditations for People of Color, ESSENCE is pleased to collaborate with powerhouse musician LEDISI for a soulful and enlightening collection of the singer's inspiring meditations, quotes, and anecdotes charting her astonishing transformation as a woman and an artist.

LEDISI, who has been described as having a mix of Tina Turner's energy, Nina Simone's brilliance, and Ella Fitzgerald's range, is a multiple Grammy nominee who has quickly connected with ESSENCE readers because of her authenticity and tenacity to strive for success on her own terms. Amazon

Digital Under:Ground :: Evan Bourgeois Lasry - Again feat. Rogiers - FREE DOWNLOAD

FREE download from LA based producer, musician Evan Bourgeois Lasry featuring the soulful vocals of Rogiers'. Loving the soulful cosmic vybe of this track and the lush vocals of Rogiers'. This song takes 'breakup songs' to a whole new beautiful level and we love it! Download "Again" for FREE and tell your friends about Evan Bourgeois Lasry and Rogiers!

Digital Under:Ground :: Dezaray Dawn - Over It - LIMITED FREE DOWNLOAD

Check out the new single Over It plus the new video from indie futuristic soul singer Dezaray Dawn. Look for Dezaray Dawn's amazing new album The Dawning to drop this Summer!

http://www.dezaraydawn.bandcamp.com

http://www.dezaraydawn.com

http://www.twitter.com/dezaray_dawn

http://www.facebook.com/dezaraydawnmusic

Featured Video :: Conya Doss - Don't Change

Conya Doss - Don't Change from her new album "Pocketful Of Purpose" 2012

Filmwerk :: Marley: The Movie

Bob Marley's universal appeal, impact on music history and role as a social and political prophet is both unique and unparalleled. MARLEY is the definitive life story of the musician, revolutionary, and legend, from his early days to his rise to international superstardom. Made with the support of the Marley family, the film features rare footage, incredible performances and revelatory interviews with the people that knew him best. A film by Kevin MacDonald. Click here for more MARLEY: THE MOVIE info, play dates and cities.

Click here to view more MARLEY: THE MOVIE trailers

The soundtrack to M A R L E Y has been released on Island Records as a 2 CD set and a 3 LP set. It includes, for the first time on record, the 1978 One Love Peace concert performance of 'Jammin' during which Marley joined the hands of bitter political rivals Michael Manley and Edward Seaga, a gesture which went some way towards restoring peace to a strife-torn Jamaica. The tracklisting of the soundtrack, follows the chronology of the film.