http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/ The best of the Philadelphia area's nightlife scene from a guy who knows it firsthand. en Copyright 2008 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:21:45 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 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. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/03/the_magnificent_dj_jazzy_jeff.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/03/the_magnificent_dj_jazzy_jeff.html DJ jazzy jeff hiphop soul Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:21:45 -0500 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. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/02/barack_the_vote_xix_restaurant.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/02/barack_the_vote_xix_restaurant.html funk hiphop obama r&b reggae soul vote Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:56:41 -0500 Remember when the scene wasn't about being "seen"? It's was just about hanging out, meeting good people, and having a fun time. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/02/candyland_the_perfect_hangout.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/02/candyland_the_perfect_hangout.html candyland funk hiphop house mike nyce reggae rich medina soul Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:29:12 -0500 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. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/02/valentines_day_at_the_cira_cen.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/02/valentines_day_at_the_cira_cen.html Cira Centre funk hiphop house Rae Restuarant soul Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:33:53 -0500 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! ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/01/back_2_basics_w_nickodemus.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/01/back_2_basics_w_nickodemus.html afrobeat Dozia funk hiphop house King Britt latin Nickodemus soul Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:46:21 -0500
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. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/01/weekend_picks_derrick_carter_m.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/01/weekend_picks_derrick_carter_m.html derrick carter electro funk hiphop house Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:50:41 -0500 It's finally 2008 and Highlife has returned. This year is gearing up to be a big one, so keep checking this space. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/01/freeway_at_wtwb.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2008/01/freeway_at_wtwb.html Baltimore house dance Freeway hiphop Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:55:11 -0500 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. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/12/sharon_jones_the_dap_kings_sav.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/12/sharon_jones_the_dap_kings_sav.html funk rare grooves Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings soul vinyl Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:58:19 -0500 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. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/12/stones_throw_records_in_philly.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/12/stones_throw_records_in_philly.html hiphop madlib peanut butter wolf stones throw Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:32:56 -0500 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. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/11/hit_pins_not_people.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/11/hit_pins_not_people.html benefit Bowling bullets Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:12:47 -0500 New York may be the home of hiphop but Philly is the home of the hiphop dj. When the subject of legendary Philly djs comes up, two names must be mentioned Dj Jazzy Jeff and DJ Cash Money. In the early days, these two were major forces when it came to party rocking and scratching. There is even an ongoing debate over which one of them should be credited with inventing the tremolo-like "transformer" scratch. DJ Jazzy Jeff went on to form a Grammy winning hiphop group with the Fresh Prince (Will Smith) and DJ Cash Money went on to win various international dj competitions. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/11/dj_cash_money_on_the_cut.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/11/dj_cash_money_on_the_cut.html Dj Cash Money DJ Jazzy Jeff funk hiphop Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:27:27 -0500 Bhangra is nothing new, but over the past few years it has become bigger then ever. These days, the Punjabi rhythms that make up the Bhangra sound are being fused with pop, hiphop, dancehall reggae, and house music. These new sounds have caused such an explosion in the music scene that major artists like Timbaland are incorporated into their albums and Jay-Z is collaborating with artists like Punjabi MC. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/11/bhangra_and_beats.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/11/bhangra_and_beats.html Bhangra hiphop house Punjab reggae Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:03:23 -0500 I know I usual use this space to talk about what is going on in the nightclubs in Philly, but today is different. Tonight at the Wachovia Center, we are lucky enough to have one of the world's best singer/songwriter/musician/arranger/harmonica players.... Stevie Wonder. There is not much I really need to say about this guy, except that this is his first tour in about 15 years and who knows when he will tour again. I'm sure the tickets are already sold out, but if you can get your hands on one, it will be well worth it. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/11/in_the_key_of_life.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/11/in_the_key_of_life.html funk soul Stevie Wonder Thu, 08 Nov 2007 09:53:54 -0500 All things hip (or hipster) have been making their way to the dj booth and the dancefloor of the newly revived Silk City. From one-off parties with Spankrock to King Britt's Back 2 Basics returning, Silk City has come back into the Philly scene strong. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/11/flosstradamus_mashes_it_up.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/11/flosstradamus_mashes_it_up.html 80s b-more house hiphop rock silk city Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:40:21 -0500 Halloween Night was definitely one to remember. I'm still recovering, but the sugar rush I can get from all of these leftover SweetTarts and Snickers bars should keep me going through this busy weekend. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/11/weekend_highlights.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/philly/highlife/2007/11/weekend_highlights.html baltimore house DJ Picks electro funk hiphop house soul Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:55:56 -0500