-
April 17, 2009
Finale’s solo debut features production from J Dilla, Nottz, Waajeed, Oddisee, Kev Brown and more; and guest appearances from Awesome Dre, Invincible, Prince Whippa Whip (Cold Crush), MonicaBlaire and Allan Barnes (The Blackbyrds).
A Pipe Dream And A Promise is now available in the EMERGENCE Store.
-
April 3, 2009
Photo of Invincible @ SXSW by Magee McIlvaine. Invincible brings us this report-back:
The road to South by Southwest jumped off with a warm welcome in Houston. Hadeel and the rest of the homies held KC and i down- i swear they took us to every quality eatery in H-town (Texas serves some gourmet treats forreal!). I rocked a benefit for the Houston Palestine Film Festival, (I'll be back for that fest when they screen "People Not Places" April 24th!) and got to connect with some of the city's finest artists and activists including the infamous H.I.S.D. The following day I stopped by Project Row Houses to meet up with my boy T. who is originally from Detroit but is now an artist in residence and youth educator with Project Row. Soon as we walked up, we ran into the organization's founder, Rick Lowe, who spontaneously invited me to screen "Locusts" at their community space that second, followed by an amazing dialog about the similarities and differences of our cities.
In Austin we met up with the rest of the EMERGENCE crew–Wes, Mike, Jenny Lee (repping the Allied Media Conference), and Iqaa (director of "Locusts" and "People Not Places")! We also linked up with the homie Belief who mixed the ShapeShifters LP and produced "Ransom Notes" :) This was my first time at SXSW- and I have to say I've never been around that many dope artists at one time in my life. The music festival alone has over 1,800 "bands" performing over 5 days, and that's not including the extra tents. Check out their site for the full schedule but some of my favs were Blu and Exile, Res, Kweli, Janelle Monae, Big Boi, Bun B, Dead Prez, PJ Harvey, Erykah Badu, DEVO, Freeway, Mayer Hawthorne, and a keynote by the one and only Quincy Jones! That's not even mentioning the film fest, panels, and tech conference. Many thanks to Matt Sonzala and the whole SXSW staff for setting everything up without losing their minds!
The first Locusts/Favela On Blast screening was Saturday before we got into Austin–and i heard it was packed, with lines snaking around the corner before the doors even opened. The screening Thursday was still full but not as hectic, though i have to say it was way more special considering Diplo, his Favela on Blast co-director Leandro (from Brazil), myself, and Iqaa the Olivetone (director of Locusts) were all present. We had a chance to introduce the films followed by an interesting Q&A, connecting the movements of Detroit Hip-Hop to the Favela Funk of Brazil. (pics of screening here) Speaking of the film fest, we also got to attend the premiere of Say My Name, an amazing documentary about women in Hip-Hop, which features footage of me (from five years ago looking like a baby), as well as dozens of other immensely talented and insightful female artists making their mark on this culture.
Friday was the panel with Davey D (one of the greatest Hip Hop journalists on the planet), featuring Truth Universal, Toki Wright, Kidz in the Hall, and yours truly. Here's a quick clip in response to the question, "How do we make music with a message that still has a strong appeal to it?"
Later that night i hit up San Antonio and did a Locusts screening and performance in the backyard of the Southwestern Worker's Union community center. Organizers from New Jersey, Atlanta, Chicago, and various parts of Texas were there for the Border Organizers Gathering, where they were exchanging strategies for resisting border violence and criminalization of our communities, as well as brainstorming community-led solutions.
Saturday there were a million and one daytime showcases- including the okayplayer one where i ran into the Homeboy Sandman out of NYC. Here's a freestyle Davey D also caught with us and Texas-based producer King Ashoka- who just happened to be parked out front with some dope beats blasting. (Many thanks to Davey D for being such an on point documentarian!)
Last but not least Saturday night was my big showcase at Back Alley Social featuring Poetic Pilgrimage from London, Blacklisted Individuals, the homie Truth Universal out of New Orleans, Bomani Armah & Project Mayhem (aka "read a book read a book read a mofuckin book!"), Dead Prez affiliates- A-Alikes, Now On, Buff 1 (along with Rhettmatic premiered their Crown Royale project), Pigeon John, and Mr. Lif (along with the homie DJ Statik!!!). Big shouts to everyone who performed (and killlled it!), as well as Lo Lo and the rest of the behind the scenes crew.
My set started out with some tech difficulties since the house deejays forgot to bring one of the key pieces of my tech rider- so while 14KT and DJ Rhettmatic were holding me down on the decks and workinonit, i spit some mean acapellas to commemorate the 6th year anniversary of the war in iraq, as well as dedicating the show to my fam Weusi Olusola who recently passed way too young. The crowd was packed and supported us while we worked out the tech issues until the show officially blasted off. Iqaa's projections were blazing in the background- especially by the time i brought Finale up to do "Recognize", "Jungle Music", "Locusts", and last but not least a SXSW-tailored version of Keep Goin. "Looongawaited" Live!:
Finale MURDERED Jungle Music (look out for his debut album dropping this week!!!):
Thanks again to everyone who came out when you coulda been watching Kanye or Bun B and Dead Prez or 50 other acts that were on that same night. Much Respect to the whole EMERGENCE crew for pounding the pavement with me. And last but not least- thanks to Local 782 in San Antonio, my old and new NOLA fam, Muhlenberg Hip Hop club, Ursula Rucker, AfroDJiak, and my crew the ANOMOLIES for holding me down the week after and helping me recover from all the SXSW ridiculousness.
signing off- i
-
March 29, 2009
Via Audible Treats:
On April 7, Detroit emcee Finale will be releasing his debut album, A Pipe Dream And A Promise via Interdependent Media. Fresh off a string of successful shows at SXSW in Austin, TX, Finale will be hitting the road again to promote and support the new album, performing spot dates around the country throughout April and into May. Although not an official tour for A Pipe Dream And A Promise, fans will have a chance to see Finale perform tracks from the new album, which has already garnered strong reviews. Accompanying Finale for a number of the dates will be fellow Detroit emcee, Invincible, whose long-awaited 2008 offering, Shapeshifters was met with high acclaim.
Finale, who is renowned for his intense live shows, looks forward to the upcoming dates. "I'm excited about hitting the road steadily again. It's going to be dope because most of the dates are with Invincible." In particular, Finale is excited for his album release party because of the NYC-centric line up, including DJ House Shoes, 5 Ela, Niacal Youngstarz, and many more artists who will be performing at the show.
Finale recently released Super Finale, an innovative, Super Mario Bros-themed video game, starring Finale as the main character, in which fans can win track the track "One Man Show" from the album upon completion of the game. A Pipe Dream And A Promise features production from J Dilla as well as Nottz, Flying Lotus, Oddisee, MPhazes, and Black Milk, who produced the album's lead single "Motor Music."
The Dates:
Finale & Hassaan Mackey
What: Hip Hop Discussion Panel
When: March 27, 2009
Where: Western Michigan University
Finale, Invincible, 5 Ela, Niacal Youngstarz
Special guests: Spier1200, Apollo Brown, The Gorilla Funk Mob with Allan Barnes, and many more; DJs: House Shoes, K Fresh, Sicari & Sean Doe
What: A Pipe Dream and a Promise Album Release Party
When: April 4, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: Elements Gallery, 2125 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48216 Age: 18+
The Palestinian hip-hop crew Dam, Rebel Diaz, Invincible, Finale, DJ Oja
What: Homeland Hip Hop: A Benefit Show for the Indigenous Youth Delegation to Palestine
When: April 7, 2009, Doors open @ 8pm, Show begins @9pm
Where: Southpaw, 125 5th Ave, Park Slope, Brooklyn NY
How much: $12 in advance, $15 at the door
Finale & Invincible
What: A Pipe Dream and a Promise Listening Party
When: April 8, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: Homebase NYC Wednesdays
Finale, Marv Won, Sincere
Where: Mac's Bar, Lansing, MI
When: April 9, 2009 @ 9pm
Finale, Vandaylyzm, Black Spade, Gotta Be Karim & Rockwell Knuckles
When: April 10, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: The Gramaphone 4243 Manchester Avenue, Saint Louis, MO
Finale & Invincible
When: April 11, 2009 @ 3:30 pm
Where: Ohio University, Athens, OH
Finale, DJ Sean Doe, Prime, Thaione Davis and more
When: April 12th, 2009
Where: Dark Room, 2210 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL
Finale, Moe Dirdee and more
When: April 16, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: The Bullfrog - Redford, MI
Finale & Invincible
When: April 18, 2009
Where: TBA, Baltimore, MD
Finale & Invincible
When: April 21, 2009
Where: TBA, Washington, D.C
Zion I, Thaione Davis, Finale
What: Thaione Davis Album Release Party
When: May 7, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: Morseland, 1218 W. Morse Ave., Rogers Park Chicago, IL
Finale, Invincible, Hassaan Mackey, DJ Quarter Pound
When: April 22, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: Dubland Underground, 315 Alexander St, Rochester, NY 14607
-
March 16, 2009
Fresh Selects is featuring a never-before-released ShapeShifters outtake. Produced by legendary Brooklyn-based duo, Da Beatminerz, "Taxicab Confessions," is being offered in anticipation of the upcoming "Ropes" video.
“[It's] one of the most personal joints I’ve ever written, next to ‘Ropes’ - they go hand in hand. It would have made it on ShapeShifters but just didn’t fit the sequence,” says Invincible.
-
March 12, 2009
Sisters, mothers, businesswomen, role models, music artists—in an industry dominated by men and noted for misogyny, the unstoppable female lyricists of Say My Name speak candidly about class, race, and gender in pursuing their passions as female MCs. From hip hop’s birthplace in the Bronx to the ladies of grime on London’s eastside, emerging artists to world renowned stars like MC Lyte and Monie Love, these are women turning adversity into art.
-
March 11, 2009
Invincible is getting set to drop her video for "Ropes." Fresh Selects brings us this behind-the-scenes preview.
-
March 5, 2009
 Invincible has a bunch of live performances and video screenings coming up. See below for SXSW Film & Music Festival dates and much more.
After innovating the new genre of "docu-music video" with the acclaimed Locusts film, Invincible applies the same treatment to her award-winning song, "People Not Places."
The People Not Places docu-music video will premier on the closing night of the Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival, Saturday, March 14, 8PM, screening alongside Slingshot Hip Hop.
Featuring Abeer, Suhell Nafar (DAM), and Shadia Mansour, People Not Places takes the listener on a "birthright" tour of Israel where the buried Palestinian significance of each location comes to light. Along the route the video exposes the process of historic and continued colonization as being even deeper than land seizure and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, but one that is invested in erasing the indigenous language, culture, and memory. Intertwined between verses are interviews from various perspectives exposing the the myth of a "Jewish birthright" to a land to which Palestinians are denied the Right of Return. These insightful voices break down the importance of Palestinian Right of Return, how it can be actualized, and how it connects to the resistance of displaced communities from Iraq to New Orleans.
The music video for "Ropes", off of the ShapeShifters album, is also complete and will be released VERY SOON!
Visit the EMERGENCE STORE to purchase the ShapeShifters CD and other items. We have very few copies remaining of the ShapeShifters/Keep Goin/No Easy Answers 12". Only 800 copies of this first EMERGENCE vinyl release were produced and this record will not be re-pressed. Get while the getting's good!
Visit Invincible's MySpace for the most up-to-date tour info.
INVINCIBLE ON TOUR
Mar 5, 2009
Judson Memorial Church - NYC, New York
w/ Climbing PoeTree, Ganessa James, JODA!, and more.
Mar 6, 2009
OneTaste - San Francisco, California
w/ DJ Emancipacion, Mahaliya Ayla O, Lubna Morrar, Maria Poblet
Mar 7, 2009
Trocadero’s - Minneapolis, Minnesota
w/ ?uestlove feat. Black Thought, King Britt, Ursula Rucker
Mar 10, 2009
Activism Right There (ART) Festival - Berkeley, California
w/ Zion I, K-Salaam, Bambu, and more
Mar 14, 2009
SXSW Film Festival - Hideout - Austin, Texas
Locusts docu-music video feat. Invincible & Finale
Mar 14, 2009
Ann Arbor Palestine Film Fest - Ann Arbor, Michigan
People Not Places docu-music video feat. Invincible, Abeer, Suhell Nafar, & Shadia Mansour. Screening alongside Slingshot Hip Hop.
Mar 19, 2009
SXSW Film Festival - Paramount - Austin, Texas
Locusts docu-music video feat. Invincible & Finale
Mar 20, 2009
SXSW Music Festival - Austin Convention Center - Austin, Texas
"Hip Hop In The Age Of Obama" panel discussion
Mar 21, 2009
SXSW Music Festival - Back Alley Social - Austin, Texas
w/ Mr. Lif, Pigeon John, Buff1, Truth Universal, & more
Mar 28, 2009
Muhlenberg College - Allentown, Pennsylvania
w/ ANOMOLIES
Apr 4, 2009
Elements Gallery - Detroit, Michigan
w/ Finale - A Pipe Dream and a Promise release party
Apr 11, 2009
Ohio University - Athens, Ohio
w/ Finale
Apr 16, 2009
Minneapolis, Minnesota
w/ Leo Tardin and Mr. Lif
Jul 9, 2009
Hultsfred Festival - Hultsfred, Sweden
July 16-19, 2009
Allied Media Conference - Detroit, Michigan
Aug 1, 2009
Hip Hop Congress National Convention - Seattle, Washington
Aug 10, 2009
Under The Volcano Festival of Art & Social Change - Vancouver, Canada
-
February 27, 2009
 We have added a Lyrics page to the EMERGENCE website including a near-comprehensive collection of lyrics from Invincible's ShapeShifters album.
Go hear to read Invincible lyrics.
Go to the EMERGENCE store to purchase ShapeShifters.
-
January 19, 2009
In response to Israel's horrific attack on the Gaza Strip, Invincible has dropped a new track, "The Emperor's Clothes" for free download. "The Emperor's Clothes" is produced by K-Salaam & Beatnick. Invincible first performed the track live at the protest lock-down of the San Francisco Israeli Consulate (pictured above / photos by Vanessa Huang).
The situation in Gaza is critical, with massive damage to civilian infrastructure and more than 1,300 Palestinians killed and 5,300 wounded. Read more about the crisis in Gaza at Electronic Intifada.
As this track makes clear, one of the most effective strategies we can pursue right now is boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaigns against Israel, as we demand an end to Israel's assault on Palestinian life and liberty. Read more about and get involved in the Global BDS campaign.
Kareem Edouard, director of the acclaimed "Sledgehammer!" music video, is currently working on a video for "The Emperor's Clothes." Keep your ear to the ground for that.
LYRICS: "The Emperor's Clothes" by Invincible
"The Emperor's Clothes"
Phase 1: Air strikes all day and all night
Phase 2: Rockets hit the Gaza strip with phosphorus
Phase 3: Ground attack how we gonna counteract?
Boycott Divest and Sanction
Israel– you should be ashamed
Kill and maim 1,000's of civilians in our name
Claim you hitting terrorists but children in your aim
Even murder relief workers blood spilling from they brain
While they tried to drive the ambulance, damn they couldn't stand a chance
Even bomb students, hospitals, mosques, Rafah, and Khan Yunis
Shot em in the back like the cops to Oscar Grant…
And in each case the good ol' united states sponsored that
7 million a day that we pay tax and AIPAC's lobbyists is robbin us
Sometimes it feels like they're ain't no stopping this
BUT now no body can deny it cuz you made it too obvious
Naked truth exposed like the emperor's clothes
The struggles getting hotter and the temperature rose
Since 1948 when you formed the state
Palestinian people still defending their homes
They aint been surrendering, NO
Boycott Divest and Sanction
Cuz they even bombed the United Nations
Look, i'm Israeli, my government's so arrogant
War criminals who call Palestinians terrorists
For resisting extinction and occupation
Comparing this to genocide and reservations of Native Americans
Its a massacre! Kick out they ambassadors!
Divest from their apartheid like South Africa
Boycott em like King to Montgomery buses,
Show them we want peace but only with real justice
They murdering the media and witnesses left
We gonna stop shopping at all the businesses that invest
In building they settlements and gentrifying our corners
Illegal walls over there and the US-Mexico border
Build a worldwide movement til the truth is heard
And supporting the Israelis who refuse to serve
All the C.O.s who AWOL when deployed to Iraqi stations
All the people rallying while the cops are chasing
If we enlisted in the system we got an obligation
We ain't got the patience, time to stop the occupation
Boycott, Divest, and Sanction
Til there's right of return for displaced and reparations
-
January 17, 2009
Invincible was interviewed on KPFA 94.1 FM's Hard Knock Radio at the Coalition Against Police Executions' "Praying for Peace, Working for Justice" community rally in Oakland, CA. The rally was in response to the police murder of Oscar Grant. You can listen to the interview here. Invincible's interview comes in at about 13:30. It is followed by interviews with Adrienne Maree Brown of the Ruckus Society and the legendary Angela Davis.
Oscar Grant was a 22-year-old young man from Hayward, CA, who loved to fish, spend time with his family and was a dedicated father to his 4-year-old daughter. In the early hours of New Years Day, Oscar was pulled off the train at the Fruitvale BART transit station in Oakland along with three other young men who were being detained as BART officers searched for suspects in a fight that started at West Oakland BART. In front of hundreds of BART patrons who were halted from reaching their destination, an unarmed Oscar was told to lay on the cold BART platform and with hands behind his back, Officer Johannes Meherles pulled out his gun, stood over Oscar and shot him in the back where the bullet richocheted and logged in his lung. Many people captured the shooting with cell phone cameras and the world saw injustice.
Read the demands of the Coalition Against Police Executions.
|
"Fire Mic/Hammer" t-shirt
"I Don't Write Rhymes I Write Ransom Notes" t-shirt
"Black & Red Mic/Hammer" t-shirt
"Black & Green Mic/Hammer" t-shirt
INVINCIBLE - ShapeShifters CD digipak
INVINCIBLE - ShapeShifters 12"
DETROIT SUMMER LIVE ARTS MEDIA PROJECT - Rising Up From the Ashes CD
SLINGSHOT HIP HOP - DVD
THE NARCICYST - S/T CD
FINALE - A Pipe Dream And A Promise CD
