West Coast Casual & HNRL present - GOOD LOOKS

I’m performing in LA on Saturday night (5/1/10) at the new monthly GOOD LOOKS party, so come through and party with myself, Whiz Kid, Lambo, Capski and DJ Phatrick.

We gon’ get it in, and help you lose yourself in the process.

A West Coast Casual x HNRL collaboration

Come one, come all to E. 3rd Lounge (734 E. 3rd St. in Little Tokyo).

10pm-2am

Mike Baker the Bike Maker

R.I.P. Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal

The news of Guru's passing hits pretty hard.

I felt hella weak months ago, when I, along with others jumped the gun and thought he passed. I was happy he was still with us, but apparently that wouldn't last long.

My homegirl Kristin got me my first GangStarr tape on my 13th birthday in March of 1994. She asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and I told her, either the Wu-Tang tape (Enter the 36 Chambers), or the new GangStarr - Hard to Earn. being that she didn't wanna buy me a "Chinese rap" album (no one was really up on Wu-Tang yet in Alameda), she opted to get me Gang Starr's latest joint.

I still have it, and it still plays, although it's probably real worn out on "Speak Ya Clout".

Everytime a GangStarr album would come out, of course folks would be floored by Primo's beats, but honestly, there was no better match for all those sound scapes than Guru's soulful presence through his voice.

Kieth Elam, you will be missed, but you will never be forgotten, especially by this Honor Roller. I took my lessons from one of the greatest.

"It's mostly tha voice, that gets you up
It's mostly tha voice, that makes you buck
A lot of rappers got flavor, and some got skills
But if your voice ain't dope then you need to [chill... chill... ]"

Rest in Peace, Power and Paradise, Guru.

Mike Baker the Bike Maker

Z-Man w/ Spank Pops & Trunk Dank @ Elbo Room 4/16

Catch HNRL's own Spank Pops performing Friday night with Z-Man and Trunk Dank.

DJs E Da Boss & B Cause will spinning all night.

It's a Gurp City, Hot Box, HNRL affair!

Mike Baker the Bike Maker

The [Re]Mixtape Vol. 3 Release Party @ PST in SF (Thurs. 4/15)

Tomorrow night, just us Honor Rollers as we celebrate the Release of Trackademicks latest volume in his [Re]Mixtape series.

Here's the deets, straight from homebase:

"Help us celebrate the release of Track's [Re]Mixtape Vol. 3 this Thursday @ the most crackin' party in the Bay, 5 years and running - PST! Resident party rocker Sake 1 bringing the treats all night long, along with special guest sets from Mayer Hawthorne as DJ Haircut and HNRLer TAP.10. There will be free physical copies of The [Re]Mixtape Vol. 3 disc aaaaaand there's no cover all night!

Also, come EARLY for a special "Wine & Beats" event with none other than Donwill of Tanya Morgan, who is flying out from NYC to select Napa-grown wines to pair with his new "Don Cusack" album selections. This is an EARLY event, from 9-10pm featuring free wine and an intimate event with Donwill. He will also hang out and help Track host on the mic all night!"

And while you're at it, check out the new video from from the [Re}Mixtape, "Spend the Night".

Trackademicks - "Spend The Night" from HNRL on Vimeo.

And if you haven't check it out yet, download Vol. 3 HERE.

HNRL!!!!!!!

Mike Baker the Bike Maker

Trackademicks - The [Re]Mixtape Vol. 3

It's finally here - the third and final installment in Trackademicks' [Re]Mixtape series!!! Go ahead and download it HERE.

Mixed by DJ Tap.10, it features the likes of J*Davey, Phonte, Zero 7, Little Dragon, Wale and whole host of others, as well as your's truly.

So check it out party people, and let the Cool Collar Scholar help make your life better through sound.

Mike Baker the Bike Maker

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Mike Baker the Bike Maker

Josie Stingray @ Queendom tomorrow 3/13!

Catch the first lady of the HNRL - Josie Stingray, tomorrow night rocking with Conscious Daughters, Pam the Funkstress, DJ Zita and more at La Pena in Bezerkely!!!

Mike Baker the Bike Maker

Trackademicks tomorrow night at 330 Ritch!

Mike Baker the Bike Maker

Mike Baker the Bike Maker - "The Solution (Mile High)" prod. by 1-O.A.K.

DJ Lowkey asked me if I'd wanna contribute anything to a mixtape celebrating his and Sounds Supreme's 3 years of their party, The Solution.

I hit up 1-O.A.K., told him my idea, he laced the beat, and VOILA!

You can go ahead and read more, and download the mixtape, (which is hosted by U-N-I and Ro BLVD, and features the likes of Tanya Morgan, Donnis, Exile, TiRon, Moe Green , El Prez and more,) in it's entirety HERE.



Mike Baker the Bike Maker

1-O.A.K show this Thursday, March 4th!

The Freshman of the Honor Roll is getting down this Thursday March 4th in San Francisco at Coda Jazz Supper Club. He's gonna be performing new songs off his upcoming EP and doing some special covers, cuz he's the shit, and he can do that.

It's sure to be a blast, and there may be some surprises in store.

Be there, or be an L7.

And to hip you to game, Whiz dropped this jewel of info on the HNRL blog:

"Last month 1-O.A.K.'s remix of Little Dragon's "Blinking Pigs" was selected by the group themselves as the winner of Filter Magazine's remix contest. But when I thought about it, the irony of the remix being named "God Made Me Funky" could have been obvious to most crate diggers who might have instantly recognized the break, but there is a deeper irony. The reason being is that "God Made Me Funky" was originally recorded by Herbie Hancock's Headhunters as the music for a radio commercial for famed Oakland BBQ joint Everett & Jones. The legend has it that once the commercial started airing people liked it so much they began to request it thinking it was a song instead of a commercial. And as with 1-O.A.K.'s remix, it's the deep funk of the drums that makes the song go. Those are the drums of Oakland's own and Headhunters' drummer Mike Clark, who confirms this story in his interview in the Wax Poetics Issue #28. Town Business indeed!"

Mike Baker the Bike Maker