Stan Ipcus

River Ciphers Recap

Events, My Dudes, Stan Ipcus, Youth

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The first ever River Ciphers, live from The Rec Room in Dobbs Ferry, was an absolute success.  The store was packed, the performances were great, and the vibe was super positive and fun!  Special thanks to Bahr for helping us to make it happen and providing us with the perfect venue for our cipher.  And a shout out goes to all the performers (some of my young boys from the BGC did their thing as did my boy Matty B above), and of course my dude Marlon “Moshe” Sobol for holding it down on his 28 instruments…HAHAHAHAHA!!  Moshe and I performed some Stan Ipcus songs unplugged in between the open mic performances which came out pretty fresh.  Here’s my two favorites….”Wifey Material” and Let’s Walk”….peep it…

Oh, and we played a game of “SWITCH” with Moshe too.  That was fun, though towards the end he started to auto-switch….ha!  Check it out…

Thanks to everyone who came out to the first ever River Ciphers.  Hope you can make it out for the next one.  All performers and listeners are welcome.  We’re gonna do it again before Labor Day so stay tuned.  Come through and perform, or just sit back and enjoy the music and have a glass of wine or sangria or iced tea.  Or do both!!!!  For more videos from the event, including clips of the open mic performers, please click the link below.  See you next time!!!!

RIVER CIPHERS PERFORMANCE VIDEO PLAYLIST

Light Up

Events, My Dudes, Stan Ipcus

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Matisyahu put on an amazing show last night at the Central Park Summerstage in the heart of NYC, gearing his fans up for his new album Light (cover above), which is in stores August 25th.  He swung back into town in the midst of a monster US touring schedule, and got a perfect night of weather to play some old favorites and show off his new single “One Day”.  Check out the official video and a stripped down, in studio clip from WNYC’s Soundcheck of “One Day”below:

Back to last night’s show.  Lots of good vibes and love backstage and out in the crowd, and I saw a lot of old friends from White Plains, University of Maryland, and even my boy Ben who used to work for me at Kidsco, which was amazing.  Big Moshe (pictured below) sat in on the congas and did his thing, and I came out on “WP” for my 16 bars of fame, which is always a thrill.  I spotted a few dudes in the front row spitting my verse along with me word for word (or at least trying to, it’s a tricky one huh fellas LOL).  Check the pics from backstage that my wife took (pardon the sunburned face I was at Playland all day with a bunch of crazy summer camp kids) and the video of “WP” courtesy of LC at www.dreamtime.tv…

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Get ready for that Light album, it’s dope (“One Day” is available now on Itunes).  I got a copy of the whole thing last month, and it’s got some great songs on it and a lot of new sounds.  DJ Roz is also finishing up his Matisyahu No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn mixtape, which will drop exclusively here at Westcheddar before the album comes out, so stay tuned for that it’s going to be crazy.  And Moshe and I will finally be holding our live music/open mic River Ciphers on Wednesday, July 22nd at The Rec Room in Dobbs Ferry, so come through for that.  

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I’ll leave you with a couple recent interviews/live performances Matis did on the radio.  First is a fun one from Philly’s Preston and Steve morning show, courtesy of my boy Ariel from WP at themerchan.com, and second is the full audio link to Matis and the boys on WNYC’s Soundcheck…

Matisyahu on Preston and Steve in Philly

Matisyahu on WNYC’s Soundcheck

*BONUS*

Read this recap of the Matisyahu Central Park Summerstage show written by my boy Craig Dershowitz, which also includes some great pictures…

The Grateful Matisyahu

 

Just Does It

Events, My Dudes, Stan Ipcus

idoesthisMy geeeeee JK at Dirty Jax sent this over to me yesterday.  I’ve been telling him to put my favorite catch phrase on a shirt for a minute now, and he finally doesd it!  Look for these to be available soon here at Westcheddar.  Oh yeah, Dirty Jax popped up at Cipha Sounds and Rosenberg’s Juan Epstein Live podcast at the 92Y in Tribeca this week.  Check the pics, then download the show, which features special appearances from Jim Jones and Buckshot of Black Moon…

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Juan Epstein: LIVE!

Oh yeah, cop that Dirty Jaxson BAD t-shirt, which JK re-released yesterday in tribute to MJ.  Link below to that (it’s available in white too) and the rest of the summer ’09 line…

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Dirty Jax Store

*BONUS*

I stole the beat from the classic Biz Markie song “What Comes Around Goes Around”, and used it to describe how my G used to be with the ladies back in my younger days (first verse middle school, second verse college).  A nice little old school story joint, strictly for the summer.  Link below…

DOWNLOAD NEW STAN IPCUS “THE GOOD OLD DAYS” ON NAHRIGHT

River Ciphers

Events, Fly Spots, My Book of Rhymes, Stan Ipcus

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For background info on the event CLICK HERE.  Hope to see you at the first cipher.  Come through and represent!!!!

Stan Ipcus on Facebook

*UPDATE*

THIS EVENT WAS POSTPONED DUE TO A SCHEDULING CONFLICT.  

STAY TUNED FOR NEW DATE AND MORE INFO!!!!!

The Rec Room

Events, My Dudes, Stan Ipcus, Youth

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Looking for something fly to wear for the summer, but don’t want to leave Westchester?  I got the spot for you.  The Rec Room (above), nestled in the quaint river town of Dobbs Ferry, is perfect for local shoppers searching for Soho style gear.  Located right on the corner of Cedar Street and Broadway, The Rec Room has a lot of really dope t-shirts, clothes, hats, kicks, cd’s, stickers, toys, and more.  With a really clean, laidback vibe, this is the place for you to find something cool and impressive to wear to your next barbeque or give to someone as a present, without having to make the trek downtown.  And they carry my cousin’s line No Mas NYC!!!  Check out some more pics…

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By a twist of fate, my man Moshe, who lives up the hill from The Rec Room, discovered the new store (it’s not even a year old) and became friendly with Bahr, the owner of the shop.  Moshe quickly hit me up, telling me about the possibilities of us doing some sort of live music event at the shop, and that Bahr was into hip hop culture and all that good stuff that he knows I can’t get enough of.  Well the moment we all started exchanging emails and I discovered Bahr knew my cousin and carried No Mas, I could tell this was the beginning of something special.  And last night, the three of us sat down at The Rec Room and came up with a great idea for a monthly event.  We all hit it off right away, and realized the need for something new and exciting here in Westchester.  And what better location and people to host that type of event.  I mean, we all are heavy in the community, with all sorts of connections to artists and musicians, both young and old.  Check out this artwork The Rec Room is currently displaying in partnership with a local after school program…

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So our event is tentatively going to be called River Ciphers, live from The Rec Room and hosted by Stan Ipcus with Marlon “Moshe” Sobol on house drums.  The idea is to unite everyone together at the beginning of each month to share whatever it is they’re into musically and artistically.  It is a chance for Moshe and I to rock together again (which we’ve done alot in the past), and bring our friends, family, kids we work with, community members, and special guests, to perform in an open mic type setting.  We want to embrace the talent that is right here in Westchester County.  I am proud to be a part of this partnership with Bahr and Moshe, and look forward to turning River Ciphers into something passionate, historic, and FUN!  Stay tuned for more details on our first event, which is going to be held Thursday July 2nd, and check out this video of Moshe killing it on the drums a few years ago at one of my shows at The Thirsty Turtle, and also the link to The Rec Room website…

The Rec Room Website

Happy Hour

Stan Ipcus

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Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears (above) make music that sounds like James Brown in his prime, only more 21st Century.  And on their song “I’m Broke”, the standout track off their album Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is!, the lead singer (Joe Lewis I guess?) sounds almost exactly like Eddie Murphy doing an impression of James Brown on SNL, and I mean that in the most complimentary way.  It’s super funky!  I first read about them in Spin Magazine and was intrigued when I found out they were down with Spoon, a band I sampled for “Hammer”, my show-banging song with my old friend Matty B.  Turns out “I’m Broke” has a great intro break to loop up, so I flipped it into a cut for my upcoming project The Young Professional.  Check out the brand new video for “I’m Broke” below, along with Stan Ipcus “Happy Hour”, a nice story joint about a night after work (LOL at Fitz Winkleman!)…

Stan Ipcus “Happy Hour”

*BONUS*  Check the vintage video of Stan Ipcus and Matty B performing “Hammer” in WP at Thirsty Turtle…

Download Stan Ipcus albums for free RIGHT HERE!

Mag Bag

Events, Fly Spots, My Dudes, Published Material, Stan Ipcus

I got a great response from the Jay-Z and the Roc live at the Tunnel videos I posted yesterday.  Almost every respectable hip hop blog, from Nahright to Rap Radar to Miss Info’s blog to 2dopeboyz linked to Westcheddar and gave it props, and my site hits skyrocketed!  So thanks for that.  In coalition with that classic footage, I completed my Cribs series with my final installments, where I dig into my hip hop magazine collection and also open up a package I received from Amazon.com courtesy of my wife’s birthday gift certificate to her rapping husband.  Created for hip hop enthusiasts who went to high school in the 90’s and anyone who wants to get to know me and my interests a little better.  Check out Stan Ipcus “Cribs” part 3 and 3 1/2…

In addition, our recent nuptials are being featured as the Wedding of the Month on Westchester Magazine’s website!  Check the link for the story and pics from the big day, and also my GROOM GUY blog that I write for the magazine too…

Westchester Magazine Wedding of the Month

Westchester Magazine GROOM GUY Blog

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My wife and I outside Battery Gardens last weekend at my cousin CI’s wedding

Tunnel Vision

Events, Published Material, Stan Ipcus

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Years ago, before Youtube, I used to look for rare hip hop videos the same way people look for hard to find sneakers: on Ebay.  One night, I stumbled across someone selling a DVD of Jay-Z live at the famous NYC nightclub The Tunnel, filmed right around the time In My Lifetime Volume 3 came out.  It was fairly cheap, so I ordered it, figuring it would at least be something cool to have in my collection of hip hop memorabilia.  Anyway, I was going though some of my old stuff recently and I pulled it out to watch, and it’s doper than I remembered.  Sometimes footage like this gets better with age.  And since I couldn’t find it anywhere else on the web, I figured I’d put it up here on Westcheddar as an exclusive.  My DVD has no tags or credits so I have no idea who filmed this and I don’t remember who sold it to me, but whoever did, PROPS ARE DEFINITELY DUE.  It’s pretty good video and sound quality and shot right from the stage so you can see everyone up close and also get a feel for how off the hook The Tunnel crowd used to be during the late 90’s/early 2000’s (I never went but I’ve heard stories).  The four part video of the full set (about 40 minutes long) features the original Roc La Familia in full effect, including Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel, Amil, DJ Clue, and even Pain in da Ass.  Enjoy.  It’s the Roc!!!!

Pt. 1 “Pain in da Ass Intro”, “It’s Hot”, “Jigga My Ni$a”, and “So Ghetto”

Pt. 2 “Can I Get A…”, “Money Ain’t a Thang”, “It’s Alright”, “What You Think of That”, and “Bleek Is”

Pt. 3 “What a Thug About”, “45 Freestyle”, “Who You Wit”, “Ain’t No Ni$a”, “Imaginary Player”, and “Jigga What, Jigga Who”

Pt. 4  “Money, Cash, Hoes” and “Do It Again”

As a bonus, here’s a throwback song I did over Jay-Z “It’s Hot”, off my 2006 DJ Roz mixtape Real Breezy:

Stan Ipcus “Mr. Maven”

And for those of you visiting this blog for the first time, yes I’m a rapper, but I wear other hats.  I actually have a full time job directing youth programs here in Westchester County, and I also am a freelance writer.  In fact, I used to write for XXL during the Elliott Wilson years for their MOVE THE CROWD section, covering live shows up and down the east coast.  Check out a couple of my favorite clips HERE.  And please, scroll through the rest of the blog too when you have some time (check out the interviews section).  Thanks for visiting Westcheddar…

Holler back.

Admit It

Stan Ipcus

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I leaked this song called “IP’s Nice (Admit It)” to Nah Right last week.  Here’s how it was featured on their site.  Free download link below.  More new material coming soon…

*Stan goes in over the beat to OC’s “Jewelz”:

I gave you both a shout out in the first verse for supporting me, but also threw a direct jab at Dante Ross for talking shit about me on dontgetgassed.com, which I thought was a weird move coming from a hip hop legend I always admired. Since when is it bad to make a diss song about someone you are competing with in hip hop? I don’t talk shit. I put all my thoughts on wax. To me, that’s a hip hop move. Pardon me, I’ve been going in lately, and I’m not gonna stop. People might not want to admit it, but they know I’m nice. That’s what this song is about. This is not on The Young Professional. Peace, ip.

Stan Ipcus – IP’s Nice (Admit It)

IP on NAHRIGHT

Leak Soup

Stan Ipcus

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Here’s three brand new Stan Ipcus cuts.  I leaked them to the recently #1 rated hip hop blog nahright.com (Vibe and XXL Magazine both labeled them numero uno), and I humbly thank them for continuing to post my new music.  Here’s the description I sent along with the songs, and the download links also…

These three songs are fresh out of the lab aka my fucking crib. I wake up, lay my songs down, then go to work. The first one is something I wrote a while back and have been meaning to put down, it’s over a classic Company Flow beat from Funcrusher Plus, an album I used to listen to constantly back when I was in college at the University of Maryland even though I never knew what they were talking about hahaha. The second is over the only Asher Roth song I actually like, and no it’s not a diss record, but yeah I do talk shit about wack white rappers on it. Sorry. And the third song is over a Menahan Street Band track I looped up and it’s off my next project called The Young Professional, which I will be putting out this summer. I just got married and I’ve got a lot on my mind about growing up, love, relationships, having kids, and that 9 to 5 grind. Hopefully some of you out there can relate. Peace, ip.

Stan Ipcus – 8 Steps to Perfection

Stan Ipcus – Barf On Your Go Kart (Corn Muffins)

Stan Ipcus – The Working Man is a Sucker off The Young Professional

I’m looking forward to writing and recording this new project, it’s going to be a challenge to find the right beats and styles for it.  So far so good.  I’ve gotten great feedback about “The Working Man is a Sucker”.  As for the other two leaks, well those are just some straight hip hop shit.  Do the knowledge to those and then get back to me.  Thanks for checking out the music.

*UPDATE* 5/23…I just leaked another track this week, which nahright.com posted as well, called “The Delegate of Hell”.  It’s not on the new project, never the less, it’s brand new.  More new music to come.  I’m back in the lab baby!  Link below…

“THE DELEGATE OF HELL” ON NAHRIGHT