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The BOMB HIP-HOP TOUR returned from Europe at the end of March
2003 after three and a half weeks of touring. Foreign
Legion, Azeem, DJ T-Rock and Dave Paul would like to
thank everyone that came out to the shows in Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark,
Switzerland, France, Scotland and the United Kingdom. We appreciate your support.
THE BOMB HIP-HOP TOUR featured:
FOREIGN LEGION (Prozack,
Marc Stretch and DJ Design)
AZEEM
DJ T-ROCK
DJ DAVE PAUL
Tour Dates
- March 2003 - Europe
Wed 05 : Munich, Germany - at Beatstreet @ Atomic Cafe
Thu 06 : Weinheim, Germany - at Cafe Central
Fri 07 : Berlin, Germany - at Icon (with record
release party for DJ Hype's "1973" album)
Sat 08 : Amsterdam, Netherlands - at Melkweg
Sun 09 : Paris, France - at Nouveau Casino (with
guest DJs Damage & Dusty "Jazz Liberatorz")
Thu 13 : Aarhus, Denmark - at Musikcafeen (with
special guests: DJ Talkback / Static
& Nat Ill)
Fri 14 : Dresden, Germany - at Scheune
Sat 15 : Hannover, Germany - at Faust
Sun 16 : Gothenburg, Sweden - at Pusterviksbaren
Wed 19 : Nurenberg, Germany - at Desi
Sat 22 : Biel, Switzerland - at Artix
Sun 23 : Mannheim, Germany - at Soho Club
Mon 24 : Brighton, U.K. - at Concorde2 (with
special guest DJ Maniphest)
Wed 26 : Nottingham, U.K. - at Rescue Rooms (with
special guests Krispy and DJ Maniphest)
Thu 27 : Glasgow, Scotland - at Glasgow School of Art (with
special guests Krispy)
Fri 28 : London, U.K. - The Jazz Cafe
________________________________________
Foreign Legion are
much like fellow West Coast hip-hop outfits such as Jurassic 5 or Ugly Duckling,
the Bay Area trio known collectively as Foreign Legion base their style on a
back-to-basics, no-nonsense interpretation of old skool values and aesthetics.
A hybrid of Gang Starr's Moment of Truth and Pharcyde's Bizarre Ride,
FL's album Kidnapper Van (Beats to Rock While Bike-Stealing),
is an all-out manifesto. It transcends the stylistic doldrums that currently
plague the greater portion of hip-hop creators. And even more importantly, it
possesses an ideological resolve that injects hope into a reeling genre. Kidnapper
Van's greatest quality, however, is its recognition of hip-hop's self-accountability.
In "Underground," an open letter to underground and retro rappers,
FL fondly recalls a moment in hip-hop history when MCs could "keep it real/[But
also] keep it skilled still." It contends that Old School cannot be reduced
to self-conscious pandering to anti-pop sentiments or rhymes about basketball
games and block parties. With the affirmation "we can get down but not
too underground," the gravly toned Marc Stretch and the more nasal
sounding Prozack are eager to put themselves forward as a pair of hiphop
zealots; more concerned with being dope than different. Still, obeying the axium
"let the hybrid of your heart and soul become deeds of greatness".
The group uses their "Kidnapper Van" to seize a handful of rap cliches
to smack the crap out of them and then take them on a joy-ride.
Foreign Legion
signed to Look Records in 2002 and just released their full length album Playtight.
DJ Design
has recorded for Stonesthrow and has remixed songs for many artists including
the Beastie Boys, Rae & Christian and Bob James. Marc Stretch has
recently signed a solo deal with Look Records.
Prozack
has signed a solo deal with Dreamworks and has recorded with producers
Pete Rock, Organized Noize, J Dilla, Alchemist, Paul Nice, Design and Super
Dave West (De La Soul). The album Death Taxes and Prozack will be released
in September.
"San
Franciscan hip hop that comes packing furiously intelligent heat..." -
NME
"Either you slip on your slickest Armani bathrobe and luxuriate in the
odius and boorish rhymes of Jay-Z and company or you smoke yourself into a blunted
frenzy while being entertained (?) by the minimalist dictates of the leftfield.
Right? Wrong... Foreign Legion highlight the paucity of ideas apparent in both
well entrenched camps [and] demonstrate the swift moves towards hip hop's third
way." - Jockey Slut
"Foreign Legion represents anew, post-indie revolution era in Bay Area
hip hop, one that's realized mix tapes and MP3's don't pay the bills."
- Bay Guardian
"FL's Production has taken a giant step forward this time around, resulting
in a more varied musical palette. Along with their trademark big beats, the
album abounds with string melodies, reggae basslines and lively organ fragments.
On Playtight, the group are just as delinquent in their habits as ever,
if noticeably more self assured. Unlike far too many underground groups who
seem more concerned with abstract metaphors then getting bodies on the floor,
Foreign Legion crafted several of Playtight's tunes into what could easily be
deemed club bangers... Though they've risen to the top of the Bay Area Indie
Hip-Hop heap, FL is a long way from blingin'" - XLR8R
________________________________________
Azeem started his first band Telefunken in
1989, which was a combination of live instrumentation and hip-hop. Years of
hard work culminated in their first release (1994) on the then newly-formed
OM Records. Soon after, Azeem's spoken word lyrics won him a spot on the Lollapalooza
tour, which in turn led to a PBS special, two books, and prestige as the
third best performance poet in the country. In 1997, Azeem joined Michael Franti
in co-writing songs for Spearhead and then touring for two years as a
writer and performer with the band.
Finally, in 1999, he decided to focus on bringing together his writing and performing
skills as a solo musical act. 2000 saw the release of his first solo EP Garage
Opera (Heratik) as well as a track on Afro-Mystik's Future Tropic
album. Azeem followed up with the full length album Craft Classic (Stray).
Azeem's hilarious vocals and DJ Zeph's funky horn laced beats earned the albums'
single "Rubber Glue" the #2 spot on the CMJ radio rap chart.
Azeem has guest appeared on many current releases including projects from Wide
Hive and Bomb Hip-Hop. Azeem's current 12" single "Family Man"
features the Bay Area master craftsman Azeem spittin' lyrical gems in his trademark
sing-song style over a fat Hydroponic Sound System produced track that combines
the nasty funk sound of late 60's New Orleans with dubbed out keys and delays.
Azeem is currently recording a full length album for Bomb Hip-Hop.
"Azeem is a very talented, diverse, creative
artist that will achieve many profound feats during his musical endeavors"
- Hip Hop Hot Spot
"Azeem brings some heat and comes across as a breath of fresh air... Don't
sleep on this kid, he represents the otherside of Bay Area Hip Hop." -
Davey D
“Craft
Classic” is, unfortunately, a rarity in Hip-Hop. It’s an album that
can be listened to straight through from beginning to end without ever losing
its interest. It’s records like this that keep Hip-Hop alive and thriving
as an original art form. " - Manhunt.com
________________________________________
DJ T-Rock is one of the most talented DJ's on the turntablist scene.
He has been honing his craft for more than 15 years, mastering the turntable
as an instrument. T-Rock is best known for his full length albums Who's Your
Daddy (Bomb Hip-Hop) and Sikinthehed (Nu Gruv/Stereotype Records),
as well as his appearances on Bomb's famous "Return of the DJ" compilations
volumes 3 and 4. He has also produced songs for Deeper Concentration Volume
3 (OM Records) and Billy Jam's Scratch Attack (Hip Hop Slam). T-Rock
currently appears on new albums by the Warp Brothers (Warp Factor) and
Mr. Dibbs (The 30th Song). He has appeared in numerous international
magazines including URB, DJ TIMES, XLR8R, Mass Appeal, and Elemental.
In addition to his work as a scratch DJ and producer T-Rock is an accomplished
mixing dj that can rock any house party or club venue. His classic record collection
and quick mixing skills have enabled him to perform with such greats as Cut
Chemist (Jurassic 5), Mix Master Mike (Beastie Boys), DJ Swamp (Beck), Afrika
Bambaataa, Kurtis Mantronik, Z-Trip, The Xecutioners, DJ Craze, Babu (Dilated
Peoples), Shortkut (Beat Junkies) and many others. T-Rock currently lives in
Los Angeles and is working with his new band Graffiti Death Threat. T-Rock
has a new mix CD out titled Hip-Hop Sundae.
footage of DJ T-Rock live during the European Tour
"T-Rock needs no MC's, no gimmicks, no outside
producers whatsoever. Like Terminator X before him, T-Rock takes music to the
edge of panic with his musical opus "Sikinthehed." - RapReviews.com
"T-Rock's Sikinthehed is one those rare CDs that reflects hip hop's early
days while still marching ahead to the future. There's no rapping, no bling-bling
or tales of urban folklore or misogynistic boasting. Rather, Sikinthehed is
mainly beats, samples and scratching that seems to have been done in a lab in
outer space, not a basement here on earth." - Independent Weekly
________________________________________
Dave Paul is a veteran hip-hop dj (since 1985)
and the founder & owner of Bomb Hip-Hop. His fresh style of party rocking
and extensive collection of hip-hop records keeps him booked at various hip-hop
clubs in San Francisco. He has been featured in URB, CMJ, Undercover, XLR8R,
Blast and appeared on the cover of Billboard and is featured in the movie Scratch.
Listen to an interview
with Dave
Paul on Brave New Waves/CBC Montreal
"Starting in 1991 as a 'zine and later evolving
into a full-fledged record label, Bomb put San Francisco on the underground
hip-hop map. The label was also one of the first to champion deejaying as an
art form with it's groundbreaking Return of the DJ compilations."
Stance Magazine
"David Paul and Bomb Hip-Hop have helped define one of the most exciting
forms of music in the '90s: turntablism" - Pulse Magazine
"David Paul has been a trendsetter for 10 years, his projects have defined
genres and jump-started now legendary careers" - SF Weekly
