Season's Greetings Trusted Internet Associates,

Chaz here, recovering from a sickness with another instance of everybody talking about me. This time it comes in the form of an article on the connection between New York City and Twin Cities Hip-Hop.

Check it out:

http://www.startribune.com/yourvoices/69965877.html?elr=KArks47cQiUdcOy_9cP3DiU47cQULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU

New York City, the birthplace of the historic culture infusing the influence to rap, spin, mix records, break dance, graffiti tag and bomb, fashioning fresh kicks and advocates diversity for people to respect where you come from.

Last week I was able to catch a full glance at the Big Apple's love for the scene I call home: the world of Twin Cities hip-hop. A week ago I came across a small venue the Sin Sin. A lounge over in the Lower East Side of Manhattan (my parents' old stomping ground), where a line of backpack hip-hop heads signed up for the monthly emcee battled. I was invited by an NYU graduate student who had interviewed and informed me of the event earlier that day. After ordering a cocktail and scoping the environment with Chilo (the other half of New York's Dr. Loco crew which toured the Twin Cities last August), I recognized a few artist with whom I performed alongside my NY release tour last June.

One of them known as MC Niles Davis (whom I did a show with in Brooklyn and was also a resident of Brooklyn Park,MN), insisted I sign up for the first round of the night's battle. My intentions weren't to go and participate, but I couldn't help but sign up to see what type of lyrical ammunition I could spread. Later on that night I met with Minneapolis' Chaz Kangas, who has been the succeeding champion for more than 15 times. The 23 year-old, De La Salle alumni rocked a rugged-US flag bandanna on his head, with a similar lyrical swag that could be compared to the style of Slug from Atmosphere. His comedic metaphors and expressions placed him on the list of favorite emcees who attended the annual cypher sessions that occur every Monday.

Hosted by Ill-Spoken for over 8 years with Dj Milk Money- on the 1s and 2s, and a small house band (made up of musicians who select the beats for each round;the bass players wife is from St. Cloud I found out), the battles are broken up by different topics: world politics, current events, tv shows, rap songs, sports and more, which are all spun "price is right" style on the themes' bicycle wheel. With double digits numbers of men battling and me as the only female in the competition that night, I had to listen to the weak hits of "you're a lil girl and honey go to the kitchen." But, the small smacks didn't do nothing but make me fire back, like a dragon burning down a wanna-be emcee castle. It was no question that between Chaz and MI, the Twin Cities came in and exploded a "sota-can" to fizz and drown what was being represented as New York underground battle rap.

"There's something happening in the Twin Cities. A bomb that is helping the true hip-hop culture survive," commented native New Yorker Ill-Spoken after hearing a similar phrase from Dr.Loco's Chilo.

Before leaving Sin Sin that night to head back to uptown, I said my good-byes and reminded everyone to attend and support the following Saturday's NYC stop of the "Fresh Air" tour presenting Rhymesayers Entertainment artist Brother Ali alongside label mates Toki Wright, BK-One and the most recently signed Evidence of the well-known crew Dilated Peoples.
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So yeah, got my name in the Star Tribune. That only took 23 years. Here's to having that happen again sooner than later. Shout-outs to Maria Isa for great article.

xoxo
chaz

Autumn Greetings,

Chaz here with a quick update letting you know the latest lowdown and lowest laydown in regard to my good times. A few weeks ago I was attending a party thrown by my longtime friend and homie Will Keenan when who walks though the door but the Marilyn Monroe of Bollywood, Mallika Sherawat. Knowing my freestyle accomplishments, my services were requested to serenade the Bollywood star and they proved successful as, unbeknown to me, Bollywood press was in the building and I got namedropped in an article the very next week!

Check it: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Mallikas-lips-get-Hollywood-fame/articleshow/5016824.cms

Mallika's lips get Hollywood fame!

While attending New York City's Fashion Week recently, Mallika Sherawat, the first Bollywood star officially recognized by Hollywood honored with a Resolution in her name from the City of Los Angeles, may have added another "first" to her resume.

Famous American photographer Patrick McMullan immortalized the lips of the bombshell, whose activities in America have brought her international recognition well ahead of the release of her newest film, "Hisss", the highly anticipated Indo-American production.

Mr. McMullan is known throughout the world as the preeminent photographer of A-list celebrities and the power elite. His collection is one of the largest archives of famous people in existence, including Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Penelope Cruz, Julie Roberts, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and more recently, Mallika Sherawat.

Miss Sherawat was the special guest of McMullan for his Fashion's Night Out event and spywitnesses say the celebrated industry insider "gave an incredible public welcome" to the global glam gal with a "special introduction in front of celebrities and socialites as the
'Marilyn Monroe of Bollywood'", before taking "a very large number of photos" of Mallika to the delight of the crowd, even going so far as to comment in public, "Mallika, you are not only the most beautiful Indian actress, you're the most beautiful actress. Period!"

Our Fashion WeekNYC spywitness said Mr. McMullan capped off the evening by asking Mallika if she was once referred to as "Bollywood's kissing queen" and upon seeing her smile, said "Let me capture those luscious lips on my camera" before he proceeded to take a close-up shot of the star's acclaimed kissing instruments, pictured below.

Mallika was then spotted downtown at NYC club Sutra for a friend's birthday party, where Guiness Book of World Record hip-hop artist Chaz Kangas serenaded Mallika with a custom-made freestyle rap in honor of the star.
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So yes, the Bollyapolis connection is that much closer to becoming a reality. Thanks for checking my blog and be on the lookout for major news in the coming weeks.

Also, be sure to check out my new blog - http://www.popularopinions.wordpress.com !

paz,
chaz

Greetings MySpace friends and Family,

Well, it's been about two years since my last blog, so here-we-here-we-go. How have you been? I've been great. Put out a record, graduated, won some battles, stole some hearts, got my nose broke, moved to Spanish Harlem, bought "The Marine" on Blu-Ray etc. Long story short, it's been a good time for good times. We'll get to all that in a second, but FIRST, ya boy

SET A WORLD RECORD!

No foolies! Guinness certified and everything. Some of my friends in the scene and I got together at the 2009 Rap-A-Thon and had the world's LONGEST CONSECUTIVE FREESTYLE CYPHER, clocking in at 26 HOURS of non-stop Hip-Hop.

Check it:



Shout-outs to Optomitrist for the video.

Also, I was recently given the bittersweet priviledge of being part of the FINAL IN-STORE AT THE VIRGIN MEGASTORE. DJ Milkmoney and I rocked the foundation to the ground:



So those are the biggest recent developments.  Hope all is well with you. If you want to read every last detail about my everyday life, check out http://www.twitter.com/chazraps  Cool? Cool.

Thanks for looking at me.

paz,
chaz

Greetings Trusted MySpace Friends!

Chaz Kangas here with a quick end-of-summer update! Before you head off to stuff your face with cheese curds and drink your weight in Apple Cider, I just wanted to let you know that last weekend...

I WON THE LARGEST ANNUAL RAP BATTLE IN MINNESOTA!

That's right! The 6th Annual Twin Cities Celebration of Hip-Hop (presented by YO! THE MOVEMENT) took place and, after battling my way through 30-40 MCs at last month's prelims, I was part of the final eight!

The battle took place at First Avenue, the most famous concert venue in the Midwest. Those of you from outside the heartland probably know it best as the venue Prince and The Time played at in Purple Rain. I defeated Absent, MC Shawn Skie and Romes (last year's winner) in overtime to claim the MC Battle Championship! Also in the battle: Facade, Chantz/Bleed Yellow, some guy I don't remember who substituted for C.O.N.C.E.P.T. and Mazta I! It was one of the most entertaining battle tournaments that I've ever been a part of. Shout-outs to everyone involved, and Yo! The Movement for putting on such a great event.

Here's the final overtime round of the battle w/ Romes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlBLa7cF8Vo

If anyone was there and has pictures, video, or an eye-witness account to share, please drop it in the comments.

Enjoy the dog-days of summer!

paz,

chaz

If you feel the need to promote something in my comments, please make it have some sort of personal context.

DO NOT throw up a flyer for a show I have no way of being able to get to, or an ad for a mixtape with people who are total strangers to me on it, and expect that to be that.

This is MYspace, and I consider my internet friends as real as my imaginary friends. That in mind, I refuse to be a WHORE for my imaginary friends without compensation.

Look at the comments that I currently have where my fellow artists are getting their hustle on with either shows or mixtapes. See how there's a message attached above or below it? That's how I roll. Be warmer. Have banter with me. Today I'm helping you on the grind, tomorrow you're babysitting my kids. That's how we operate.

Any flyers thrown up out of context will be deleted without a second thought. No disrespect to those that have done it in the past because that seems to be standard procedure on most MySpace pages these days, but I will not let my sacred community soapbox become a faceless billboard.

By the way, "Lapland" drops this July. It's in the mixing stages right now. You will love it.

Chaz Off To Ya!

Chaz