Ten turntables ,

Hip Hop legends
Never seen in Australia before

The X-Ecutioners are coming to Australia

Undeniably one of the greatest turntablist crews of all time, New Yorks legends The X-Ecutioners are reuniting exclusively to tour Australia for the very first time. The supremely talented turntablists, Grand Master Roc Raida, Rob Swift, Boogie Blind, Total Eclipse and Precision have exclusively come together for this tour and across 10 turntables will leave you speechless with their unbelievable turntable skills of cutting, mixing, scratching and beat juggling.

The X-Ecutioners have led a revolution in DJ wizardry and turntable skills and have raised the bar of the capability of a DJ to mind blowing heights. After a five year hiatus, Australia is blessed to have the unique opportunity to see 5 hip hop legends together on one stage and promise to deliver us a show of turntable tricknology that will leave us speechless.

Along with this show, Roc Raida brings to Australia his DJ competition, THE GONG Battle for World Supremacy. This battle will feature Australia's top turntablists going head to head on the wheels of steel in front of judges The X-Ecutioners and…. a gong! That's right, anyone caught slippin in skills will get GONGED and have to stop battling immediately! The winner of this battle held exclusively at the Melbourne show will be flown to the U.S. and have the unique opportunity to compete in the THE GONG final on the 22nd October in New York.

Supporting the xmen at the gong battle in Melbourne is, the Californian MC Wildchild who will be bringing his raw party music to the stage, along with the legendary DJ P-Money from New Zealand who is guaranteed to provide us with an exciting party set.

Tour Dates-

Adelaide- Friday 3rd October X-Ecutioners Show only

Melbourne- X-Ecutioners including The Gong Battle P Money and MC Wildchild , Saturday 4th October at The Espy

Perth- Friday 10th October X-Ecutioners Show only

Sydney- Saturday 11th October X-Ecutioners Show only

Links:

Official Tour WebSite www.myspace.com/xecutionersdownunder

www.myspace.com/thegongdjbattle

www.myspace.com/rocraida

www.myspace.com/noisicerp

www.myspace.com/djrobswift

www.myspace.com/totaleclipse

I just found out DJ Scratch is officially no longer a member of EPMD. It seems EPMD have been recording there next album without any input from their legendary DJ. To add insult to injury, EPMD have also been performing at live shows without Scratch claiming he's been missing flights when the truth of the matter is they're not even informing him about tour dates! (You can read the full story at www.djrobswift.com)

This doesn't even surprised me. I, speaking from experience, am not surprised. MCs have been shitting on their DJs for quite some time. When you DJ for an MC or rap group there are times where you're made to feel like more of an employee than an equal partner. The idea that Eric and Parish decided to do shows without Scratch and outright lie to fans about Scratch missing planes just for the sake of making an extra few thousand dollars is wack. I'll go as far to say it's some typical rapper shit. Ever since the commercialization of Hip Hop by companies, record labels, etc., that know nothing about the true art form, the MC/Rapper has been placed in the forefront, forcing the DJ to take a back seat.

For this reason Roc Raida, Mista Sinista and myself decided to stop DJing for our respective rap groups and form THE X-ECUTIONERS back in 1997. If it weren't for that fearless decision, I can honestly say I wouldn't of gone on to develop the career I've established the last 11 years. If it weren't for my decision to "eat off my own plate" there would of been no X-pressions, The Ablist, Built From Scratch, Sound Event, Revolutions, War Games, or "As The Tables Turn." Even today, my new crew Ill Insanity (myspace.com/illinsanitydjs) continue striving to spread the art of DJing because we can't depend on rappers to do it for us. Just turn your radio on and listen to any typical Jay Z, Lil' Wayne, or Kanye West song and I guarantee you won't hear any scratches. Just turn your TV on and watch MTV, BET or VH1 and when a so called "Hip Hop" video comes on, if you're even lucky to catch a video, you won't see a DJ interacting with the rapper. In replace of the DJ you will find some half naked video models lip singing the hook though, lol!

Don't get me wrong, there are a few MCs out there that still respect the art of DJing. There are a few MCs out there that do reach out to DJs to collaborate on songs. I've connected with a bunch of them right here on myspace and it's been refreshing to work with MCs that understand a rap song isn't complete without that piercing scratch sound that just oozes HIP HOP!

So for those MCs that have hit me up on myspace on some "Yo Rob, I'm working on a song and I would like to hire you to lace the intro, choruses and outro with some funky scratches" you have my respect because that shows you understand how to make a true Hip Hop record.

But for those MCs that feel, "Ahhhh, I don't need scratches on my song" and instead opt to write a repetitive 8 bar hook themselves or even worst, get some chick that can't even hold a note to sing on the hook, know this... every time you do that, you're contributing to the misrepresentation of what a Hip Hop song in it's purest form should sound like!

Peace

Rob Swift

After a successful show in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 1st (Utah, thank you for the love!!!) and only 4 hours sleep combined between Total Eclipse, Precision and myself, we hopped on a non stop flight back to the BIG APPLE for the most important show we've had since forming Ill Insanity! The place, Hunter College! Alongside break dancers Supreme Beings and Hip Hop artist Talib Kweli.

After a flight I thought would never end, we got home with only enough time to drop off our luggage, shower, suit up for business, and troop it out to Gotham City!

Sound hectic? Well factor in we didn't make it to Hunter in time for a proper sound check. Oh, and did I mention we were the opening act? Yes, no time to chill, mingle or take in the vibe of the sold out audience. We literally did a line check of each turntable as people were walking in and taking their seats. But at 8:15pm we took to the decks and proceeded to showcase why we call ourselves ILL INSANITY.

Long story short, mission accomplished!!!

I would like to thank... Arthur (Say Word Entertainment) and Hunter College for giving us the opportunity to play at such a historic, respectable school. Rabbi Darkside (our host for the evening), DJ Center ("Right On" brother - haha), Supreme Beings and Talib Kweli - it was a pleasure sharing the stage with all of you. RANE, specifically, Dean Standing and Mike May - your unconditional support has made it possible for us to share what we do with the world and I want you two to know Ill Insanity will always have your backs! Christie Z. Pabon, thank you for helping us spread the word.

Our booking agents, Premiere Artists Group and Hot Wheelz, thank you guys for helping us reach the masses live and in the flesh. Iller Clothing for providing us with the flyest tour gear. To all those that have supported us (family, girlfriends, friends and fans) - THANK YOU - consider yourselves the fuel that keep us going. And last but not least, I would like to thank the critics, the non believers, ooooohhhhh and especially the haters - please don't stop the hate, please don't stop the asinine comparisons to the X-ecutioners, please keep hating... it only makes us stronger! The next project is already in the works!!!

For more details on the Hunter College concert, please read the review
below or simply log on to http://smokingsection. rawkus. com/TSS/?p=4234. Our album GROUND XERO is available at www.fatbeats.com or log on to the iTunes Store.

Rob Swift





Review of Hunter College concert featuring Ill Insanity, Supreme
Beings and Talib Kweli

"By now, we're all familiar with Nas' hotly-debated proclamation "Hip-Hop Is Dead." The Hip-Hop fans who packed the Assembly Hall of Hunter College on May 2nd, however, may think otherwise. That's because they were treated to a great concert headlined by Brooklyn's outstanding wordsmith, Talib Kweli.

The sold-out concert also featured the celebrated DJ crew Ill Insanity, formerly known as The X-Ecutioners. Accomplished DJ's Rob Swift, Total Eclipse and Precision (the U.S. champion of 2007's DMC competition) make up the super-group of turntable specialists.

Ill Insanity's Fat Beats-distributed album, Ground Xero, is an acclaimed gem that features the trio (and other prestigious spinners such as Q-Bert and former X-Ecutioner, Roc Raida) cutting and scratching over neck-snapping, boom-bap instrumentals. The LP's lone vocalist, Long Island-bred rapper Dashah, shines brightly on the track "Decorated Vets."

Ill Insanity opened the concert with a set full of turntable theatrics that wowed the audience. With their well-timed routines and lightning quick hands, Ill Insanity mixed and manipulated the vinyl to do their bidding. The trio worked like an orchestra, chopping and scratching in unison; the DJs also had solo moments as well. After Ill Insanity received a standing ovation for their 22-minute set, four-man breakdance crew Supreme Beings attacked the stage with their gravity-defying moves.

The group's energetic headspins, handstands and backflips electrified the Hall. Much to the crowd's delight, Supreme Beings unearthed a seemingly forgotten element of Hip-Hop culture, and did it extremely well. Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew would've been proud.

With the hyped-up fans on their feet and ready for the main course, Talib Kweli finally touched down and brought the energy level to fever pitch.

Kweli's fourth and latest solo album, Eardrum, has sold 251,500 copies, making it his highest-selling LP to date. Kweli performed hits from all of his solo albums and reached deeper into his catalog for "Definition," the single that put him and Mos Def on the map as the duo Black Star.

Not only did Kweli perform his own songs, he also got the crowd to sing-along as his DJ spun 80's hits like "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics. Kweli even had Supreme Beings accompany him onstage to flaunt more of their breakdance routines to the oldies-but-goodies. It was an improvised moment that embodied the spirit of organic Hip-Hop; a spirit that was alive and kicking at Hunter College.

Much to the disappointment of the stone-faced cops waiting to crack skulls outside, the elated fans were orderly and there were no arrests to be made when the concert was over. There would be no episodes of violence for the local tabloids to put on blast… too bad for them."

By Khalid Strickland

Interview by Scott Thill
Courtesy of WIRED

As one of the finest DJs alive, Rob Swift has repped turntablism far
and wide. He's won DJ contests, starred in the all-DJ supergroup
X-ecutioners and even the odd GAP commercial, all while releasing a
string of solid solo efforts and collaborating with diverse luminaries
like Bob James, Herbie Hancock and the always irrepressible Mike
Patton.

These days, he's returned to his roots with Ill Insanity, a collective
that also includes X-ecutioner grads Total Eclipse and Precision.
Throw in an ongoing world tour and Ill Insanity's recently released
debut Ground Xero, and you've got one hard-working turntablist with
his heart set on revitalizing his art for the digital age.

Listening Post caught up with Swift about his new supergroup, Barack
Obama, bling rap and why Serato Scratch Live is a gift from the gods.


Listening Post: You've made it clear this is not X2. Is it good to get
some of the drama behind you and get back to turntablism?

Rob Swift: I feel Ill Insanity has willingly taken on the
responsibility of re-exposing our art form, turntablism, to a new
generation. During the mid 90's or "Golden Years," the X-ecutioners
were a part of a DJ movement that was alive and vibrant. But now, the
consensus is that the movement is dead. Ill Insanity's main purpose is
to breathe life back into the art.

Being self sufficient, not relying on a major label to introduce what
we do to the masses, and taking back control of our artistry has led
to a more healthy, fun situation for us. The chemistry between
Precision, Total Eclipse and myself is the strongest I've felt within
a group since my days as an X-man. We practice almost everyday, we're
hungry and we're on the same page. Within a year of forming Ill
Insanity we completed and released our first album, toured Europe and
the United States, we even made appearances on ESPN and BET. I think
it's safe to say our approach to things is working.


Listening Post: How has turntablism tech changed since X, and have
those changes made it easier for budding DJs to get into the game?
What have been some of the most interesting products or developments
you've seen lately?

RS: With the advances in DJ-oriented technology like Rane's Serato
Scratch Live and their TTM-57 mixer, our Guitar Center Sessions tour
allowed us to interact with the audiences that came to see us on a
more personal level. There was a Q&A session at each location and we
also took part in workshops that allowed us to explain the technical
side of what we do. We talked about everything, from how we
incorporate Serato Scratch Live in our stage show to breaking down the
art form of turntablism itself. As the X-ecutioners, we relied on
vinyl for our performances. But people don't realize the lengths we
went through to put together a show on vinyl. From composing show
records and having pressing plants manufacture 100 to 200 pieces of
vinyl so that we had our material from our albums narrowed down to
three to four pieces of show vinyl, to traveling with a sound man that
would help us sound check and monitor the live show to minimize the
feedback issues we would almost always experience.

I can't speak for other DJs but I can honestly say, with all the
confidence in the world, that technology like Serato Scratch Live and
the Rane TTM 57 Mixer have made it possible for us to do what we do in
a more effective way. Don't get me wrong, if you suck on regular
vinyl, you're gonna suck on Serato. The technology hasn't necessarily
made it easier from a technical standpoint. It's just opened the doors
for much better sound quality and more creativity. I try and focus on
being able to adapt and master what's in front of me. I've
experimented with it all, turntables, CDJs, foot pedals, Serato and I
always shelve what doesn't fit my needs and embrace what does.


Listening Post: How has the response to Ill been on the road? What
other acts in the turntablism game are repping the movement well?

RS: The response to Ill Insanity world wide has been very positive.
The fans truly appreciate our efforts in rejuvenating the Tablist
scene. Other noteworthy acts we feel exist in the movement are C2C and
Birdy Nam Nam from Europe. Honorable mention to Triple Threat, D
Styles, Q-bert, Roc Raida, Ricci Rucker, Toadstyle, and Excess.


Listening Post: Bling rap is on the way out, and a conscientious
hip-hop seems to be on the verge of a return. What will you miss the
least out of these last eight years?

RS: What I will miss the least is the type of commercial rap that
fails to challenge the listeners. It baffles me how we're in the
middle of a recession, people are losing their homes to foreclosure,
fathers and mothers are being laid off and all rappers want to talk
about is their million dollar houses and the bling on their wrists and
necks.


Listening Post: How about the future? Are you pulling for Obama?

RS: I'm definitely ready for a change and I think a candidate like
Obama is the perfect person to bring about that change. The man is
amazing and I think having him in office will spark a positive,
activist mentality amongst us all.

--
Rob Swift

Ill Insanity's debut album Ground Xero
is now available @ the iTunes store and www.fatbeats.com

For more information please visit djrobswift.com or myspace.com/illinsanitydjs

WEEKLY DIG
Interview by Chris Faraone

Rob swift sells out every day. but even if the former X-Ecutioner juggled T-Pain anthems on CD turntables at the Grammy’s while endorsing Hillary Clinton, he still wouldn’t be a "sellout." As an X-Ecutioner, Swift’s vinyl charades won adoration from heads ranging from Mike Patton to David Letterman to your mom, who, despite her loathe for hip-hop and low-slung pants, was enthralled by his acrobatic Late Show appearance. Yet even with this relatively high profile, Swift has never scratched his ethics.

"The X-Ecutioners reached levels of stardom and exposure that no other DJ crew has ever reached, "he says, "We recorded major label albums with Loud and Columbia, shot a video with Linkin Park and performed at the MTV Icon Awards. No matter what though, I always am who I am, my morals and values about the art form haven’t changed."

Other things, however, done changed. Swift has spent the last year developing Ill Insanity, an X-Ecutioners spin-off gang alongside the comparably nimble-wristed Total Eclipse and Precision. It’s hard for him to finger the exact difference between his old and new crews, which is expected when you’re exploring virgin opportunities with tight new talent.

"We’re ready to start from the beginning," Swift says, "That [X-Ecutioners] fan base really isn’t there anymore, so we have to be willing to humble ourselves and set new goals in order to reintroduce the art. That’s why we called the record Ground Xero."

Since even the underground music biz is all about bottom lines, Ill Insanity consciously balances aesthetic complexity with commercial accessibility. Ground Xero tracks such as "P Bounce" - on which guest samurai Excess chops up live guitar loops - works on a technical level, but it can also moisten coeds who rock tight black pants to class but have Levis buried in their closets for Dave Matthews concerts.

It should be no surprise that some heads in hip-hop’s "keep it real" underbelly resent Swift’s misson to amplify turntable science. On the day that Ground Xero dropped, a nerd circle at UndergroundHipHop.com in Back Bay expressed collective disappointment that the disc was endorsed by Serato, a mixing system that enables DJs to scratch digital tracks on actual decks.

"As a DJ, actor, athlete or whatever, you have to be willing to change and adapt to technology," Swift says, "Normally you wouldn’t be able to perform the type of songs you hear throughout our album with just vinyl. If we tried to do a song like ’P Bounce’ with vinyl, we would need to record each individual sound within the song, then have a pressing plant manufacture the performance record. It would be a whole month-long process to get all of these sounds on vinyl. With Serato it was done in a matter of seconds."

Rob doesn’t claim to be a descendant of Jonathan Swift, but he sure is a champ at surreptitiously lampooning the yahoos who are holding back his culture.

"Don’t get me wrong-a lot of people are misusing technology," Swift says. "That’s not us though. We’re starting a new renaissance."



Ill Insanity’s debut album GROUND XERO is available at www.fatbeats.com or visit the iTunes store! Thanks for the support!!!

What up everybody?

So when we finished our new album, I remember asking myself, "what can we do to celebrate the release of GROUND XERO?" Having our booking agent coordinate a US tour was a no brainer but I wanted Ill Insanity to do something more interactive. Something that not only made it possible for us to have direct contact with our audience, but would also educate the new fans about our art form.

People who buy GROUND XERO are gonna have a unique listening experience cause the songs which appear on the album were created with the turntable as the nucleus. You may not realize this when you pop our album into your player at home. But when you see Total Eclipse, Precision and myself perform tracks like "5 Fingers of Death" featuring Q Bert and "Insane Style" live, fans (old and new) will gain an appreciation for how difficult, creative and innovative the album is. Realizing this, I was inspired to approach James Yeo, known for organizing Guitar Center's Sessions events across the country, about a special Ill insanity/Guitar Center Sessions tour.

After brainstorming the idea for several weeks. James Yeo set the ball in motion for this tour to happen and now, it's gonna be a reality. With the help of sponsorship from Fat Beats, RANE and the Scratch DJ Academy, this February's Guitar Center Sessions tour will be a historical one in the world of DJing/Turntablism. Fans are gonna get to see Ill Insanity perform live in an intimate setting. It's gonna be an up close and personal experience for everyone in attendance. The event will be ALL AGES and FREE. So you don't have to worry about not being able to see us at the night club cause you're under age, or not having enough money to pay the admission fee. Everyone is welcomed! There will be a Question & Answer session so people's questions about, what we do? how we do it? the technology we use, such as SERATO SCRATCH LIVE, will all be demonstrated and answered by us! After this tour the art of Turntablism won't be such a mystery to those who have seen it but never tried it out themselves.

Which reminds me, the GC Sessions tour dates in Brooklyn, Hallandale and LA will offer Scratch and burn booths provided by Scratch DJ Academy. These booths will bring us, Ill Insanity, together with the fans for a special scratch jam session. So whether you wanna us to teach you how to perform your first scratch, or if you're already experienced and want to match your skills with us, you'll have the opportunity to cut it up with the crew and have your little practice session recorded and burned on to a CD for you to take home and listen to.

As if that ain't enough, each Guitar Center date will be hosted by some of the most respected and accomplished pioneers in the world of DJing (NY-Evil Dee from Blackmoon and the Beatminerz, Hallandale-DJ IDEE, former Gong Battle Champion, Atlanta-Jaycee, DJ for Ludacris, San Franciso-Apollo from Triple Threat and Los Angeles-Hapa).

Guitar Center has even established an online contest to promote the tour. The lucky winner will get a free TTM-57 from Rane, and a bunch of Ill insanity product, such as CDs, Vinyl, T Shirts, etc.

Like I said, this is history in the making so don't miss it!

Rob Swift (Ill Insanity)