September 18-24, 2003

beat box

compiled by Ainé Ardron-Doley

Amani Olu, co-founder of the new B.Informed magazine (check out

), gets busy on the teaching front with his Intro to B.Boying weekly breakin’ classes. Saturdays, noon-1:30 p.m., $12 per class, Susan Hess Modern Dance, 2030 Sansom St., third floor, 215-232-4019. Meanwhile, B.Informed hosts its first open house. Sat., Sept. 20, 10 a.m.-noon, Temple University, Pearson Hall, room 101, Broad and Montgomery sts. While the music industry as a whole continues its deep depression, uplifting gospel hip-hop is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with. Witness the word set to beats and rhyme -- or, even better, take part -- at The Platform, presented by the Urban Gospel Alliance and Urban Revival. Sat., Sept. 20, 3-7 p.m., free, The Rotunda, 4012 Walnut St., 215-573-3234.

Last week Tiffany Bacon kicked off her Side Gig night, dedicated to showcasing new talent in the area. Round two beckons songbirds, visual artists, photographers, fashion designers, MCs, dancers, actors, musicians and poets to the open mic and stage. This includes all the 9-to-5 folks who need to shake loose the suit and tie to blossom into the artist who lurks beneath. Wed., Sept. 24, 8 p.m.-midnight, $10, Club Flow, 700 N. Delaware Ave., 215-844-7666. Pricey, right? Things are cheaper at the much-talked-about Beat Society 8. Fresh off the heels of his long-awaited solo debut, Music, Magic, Myth, The Last Emperor steps to the lyricist side of Beat Society. Fellow West Philadelphian Baby Blak co-headlines the show (read more about him on p. 37). Watch for freestyle madness and hopefully some shared time on the mic since both MCs have an extensive collab'n history together. Oops, this is supposed to be a producers' event; this month's beat wizards include J Swift, Chad Hamilton and Dramatic. Wed., Sept. 24, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., $7, The Five Spot, 5 S. Bank St., 215-274-0070.

This just in: DJ Primetime's got a new mix-CD, Prime Cuts: Summer Slices 2003, on the shelves. Pick it up at Cue Records, www.sandboxautomatic.com and www.ughh.com -- or e-mail the man himself at negroleague@yahoo.com. Also in this issue, read about Dilated Peoples on p. 40 and Jill Scott on p. 37.

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