Highlife

You may know him as Will Smith's dj or as the head of A Touch of Jazz productions or as the guy who Uncle Phil used to physically throw out of the house in Bel Air. Well I know DJ Jazzy Jeff as one of the most influential djs in Philadelphia and in hiphop music all together. With his constant world touring, soulful music production, and ever increasing discography (The Return of the Magnificent just dropped a few months ago), Dj Jazzy Jeff continues to be just as relevant (if not more so) to today's music scene as he was in the 80's.

It's not often that he plays gigs in his hometown, but this Friday March 21st you can catch him at Fluid Nightclub (613 S. 4th St.). The event is called DJ Jazzy Jeff & Friends, and as the name suggests, he has some of his talented friends joining in to add their special flavor to the mix. Alongside Jeff on the turntables will be DJ Active and DJ Excel of Scratch Makaniks. Also, hiphop mc Skillz (formerly Mad Skillz) will be hosting. Sounds like a good way to spend a Friday night.

In April, it will be Pennsylvania's turn to vote for who we want to represent us in the presidential election in November. This means if you haven't registered to vote, you don't have a lot of time left.

Continue reading "Barack The Vote @ XIX Restaurant" »

Remember when the scene wasn't about being "seen"? It's was just about hanging out, meeting good people, and having a fun time.

Continue reading "Candyland... The perfect hangout." »

Love is in the air today. If you are heading out tonight with that special someone, I'm sure the question you will be asking after dinner is "where should we go now?". I looked around for a Valentine's Day party that has the right stuff and the event that stood out was The Warm Down which is happening tonight at Rae Restaurant(2929 Arch Street). This is the first major event for promoter Thane Wright's new company Step Up Media and the first major (meaning "actually cool") party that I have heard about at Rae Restaurant.

Continue reading "Valentine's Day at the Cira Centre" »

King Britt and Dozia's Back 2 Basics party has been consistently strong since it restarted at Silk City (5th and Spring Garden St.) last year. Considering it's a Monday night event, that is a huge accomplishment. One of the keys to its success are all of the surprise appearances by various artists and djs. One night it's 4Hero from the UK dropping a guest dj set. Another night, it's soul legend Billie Paul perform live on stage. You never know who is gonna be there, but you know the music will be great!

Continue reading "Back 2 Basics w/ Nickodemus" »

1-25-2008

Sorry for the hiatus. It's been real busy around here at Highlife HQ. Here are some events worth checking out this weekend.

Continue reading "Weekend Picks: Derrick Carter & More." »

It's finally 2008 and Highlife has returned. This year is gearing up to be a big one, so keep checking this space.

Continue reading "Freeway at WTWB" »

I have been a Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings fan for years now. That is fact that every Dap Kings fan can be proud to mention, especially since the rest of the world is finally starting to catch on. After some the band member did session work and played as backing band for Amy Winehouse, the Dap King's 60s funk/northern soul sound began to win over the mainstream.

Continue reading "Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings save our soul." »

When it comes to hiphop music these days, there isn't much that gets me excited. Most mainstream tunes can't hold my interest for so long and I'm totally confused about how "Crank that Soldier Boy" is the biggest rap song in America right now. It seem like hiphop has lost it's soul. But at least there are still artists out there that make authentic hiphop tracks without the help of mainstream media and having to dumb down their music.

Continue reading "Stones Throw Records in Philly Tonight." »

News flash! Philadelphia has topped 400 homicides this year. With all the violence and craziness going on in the streets, it's obvious that a shift in the public consciousness is needed.

Continue reading "Hit Pins Not People" »