Like, the interviewer is seriously getting served and looks like he’s about to blow a kidney or something.

Now, I’ve seen this interview before. My final year dissertation was titled  “Black Power: from rhetoric to reality”, covering the period in the 60s to mid-70s where the concept of black power evolved from an emotionally-charged buzzword to real political activity. It started with looking at the Malcolm X legacy and the way it inspired the dawn of the Black Panther Party –  but the essay kinda stopped at the emergence of politicians like Jesse Jackson and didn’t really go beyond that, like anywhere near the 80s or 90s (there’s only so much you can do with 10,000 words, you know), otherwise I probably would’ve dedicated an entire chapter to Tupac Shakur.

Looking back at my teen-hood, I was here for Tupac  in as much as I liked the songs Keep Ya Head Up, I Ain’t Mad At Cha, California Love, All Eyez on Me and his breakout starring role in the film Juice. And yea, I’m not gonna lie, I appreciated the fact he was easy on the eyes. Shout out to Black Beat and those Thug Life posters.

Maybe that was enough to claim fan-dom back them. Like, how much did I need to know about gangbanging and bitches? Nor was I really trying to pretend to relate to it in any shape or form. But what I did clock was that when Tupac wasn’t spitting tales of that thug life, he was also coming from a place of black consciousness (and in a strange way, doing both at the same time). And of course he was – his mom was a black Panther. And on the interwebs, you’ll even find a speech he gave as a 20-year-old at a Malcolm X grassroots movement dinner in ATL, amongst many others engaging vids where he’s talking about issues within the black community with the same fervour and enlightenment as the man like Malcolm.

Tupac Shakur was totally THAT dude.

But if you’re not necessarily a hip-hop head and wanted to know more about that side of the legend, Rich Mix has got the best thing happening this weekend. It’s an afternoon of music, spoken word, discussions and lectures dedicated to the man himself, to mark the 20th anniversary (!) of his death on September 13, 1996. Dwell on that for a moment.  Tupac Shakur died 20 YEARS AGO. Twenty. Two. Zero. Where in the blazes did the time go?!? And why is his murder still unsolved? #thingsthatmakeyougohmmmm

Anywho, the event is being run by a group called the  Malcolm X movement which is devoted to celebrating the life of Tupac and Afeni Shakur, his mom,  so the aim of the day is to talk all things Tupac and explore his relevance today.

It’s just a fiver to go along and there’s not gonna be any freaky holograms or anything like that, so you can find out more about the event here.

Until then, I leave you with another  TUPAC CLASSIC that’ll get you all up in your feelings and make you call your mom today, guaranteed:

The post Somewhere you should go… an afternoon dedicated to Tupac Shakur at Rich Mix appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Thankfully, the Rich Mix picked up on this point too and will be dedicating a weekend to Brazilian theatre, book readings, photography and visual arts… and a bit of football too, if you must! Running across Saturday and Sunday, the event follows the stories of Brazilians who moved to the UK in 60s, 70s and 80s. It also features a theatre performance about their obsession with food and later in the evening, a chance to sample some Brazilian cuisine. Saturday evening also celebrates the irrepressible music of Brazil: an essential part of life for all Brazilians and alongside football, it’s possibly what it is most famous for.

A visit to Rich Mix this weekend will also give you the opportunity to see the street art mural on display in their main space. Produced by Daniel Melim and three members of the legendary street poster art collective SHN, the mural is created from hundreds of silkscreen posters featuring playful graphic icon and worked over with stencil art. (Words: Laura Thornley)

On 5 and 6 July.  For more info visit: www.richmix.org.uk

The post Somewhere you should go… Brasiliance appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Islam is all about engaging her audience and her start-up company Pigment explosion is living proof of this. The core motivation behind the organisation is to create projects that engage audiences that wouldn’t usually encounter the arts and this includes everyone from older people to women suffering from domestic violence and children who live in the slums of Bangladesh. The exhibition at the Rich Mix will feature projections of her films and artworks, poetry performances and an interactive doodle room – echoing the artist’s interest in encouraging audience engagement.

The doodle room will start off as a blank canvas, simple white walls which will slowly be filled with anything and everything that its audience comes up with in response to the theme: imaginary landscapes and notions of home. The walls are open to all and there will be a variety of workshops and artist interventions dedicated to the space too. The doodle room will also be broadcast live on the web, making it a live performance.

On opening night. Islam’s imposing 30-foot scrolls will be exhibited. Each scroll depicts whole landscape panoramas, with imaginary and real elements – quite an awesome sight. As part of this multi-disciplinary show, the artist will also take part in a debate discussing the lack of high profile British Asian artists. The diversity of elements to the exhibition exemplifies Sanchita Islam’s approach to her work – and for this reason, shouldn’t be missed. (Words: Laura Thornley)

Sanchita Islam: The Rebel Within is on until April 28th.  For more info visit: http://www.richmix.org.uk/whats-on/event/sanchita-islam-the-rebel-within-mar13/

The post Something you should see… Sanchita Islam: The Rebel Within at Rich Mix appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

The locations of the venues – Rich Mix, Bedroom Bar and The Village Underground – promise to create the Bermuda triangle of festival mayhem as revellers journey between musical destinations. Rich Mix is playing host to Africa Rootmaster, an area dedicated to the African music scene that continues to develop in London. Performers include United Vibrations,  and the mesmerising sounds of Moroccan Gnawa Master Simo Lagnawi alongside Soundspecies band under the moniker Electric Jalaba.

Bedroom Bar will become the Polka Tent presenting a wealth of Gypsy punk style music. Artists to watch out for include: Gypsy Hill (from Norwood!), The Monster Ceilidh Band (from Newcastle!) and The Turbans (an Egyptian Yemeni folk band). The Village Underground houses the Latin Quarter, celebrating the growing South American music culture in the capital. Interested in how Cuban music meets Ska? This is the place. Plus a chance to see Womad lovies Los Chinches, a Peruvian chicha band that blast out Peruvian psychedelic rock’n’roll from the ’60s and ’70s.

If you have had the pleasure of experiencing one of these party powerhouses at any of the UKs summer festivals, then you won’t need to be told this is not to be missed – and tickets are well priced, which makes it all the sweeter. A perfect party to chase away the winter blues, we thinks. (Words: Laura Thornley) 

The London Remixed Festival takes place on November 24th. For more info visit: www.londonremixedfestival.com

The post Somewhere you should go… London Remixed Festival appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

The club night was a major hit last year and so we can only expect this to continue. The battle includes eight invited dancers and 16 qualifiers. The champ from last year, Lee Roc, returns to defend his crown and charm the judges with his legendary explosive moves. Brassroots will be playing big beat tunes in the battle interludes, on their brass instruments of course. The prize is donated by Soul Powered, a UK agency that has B-boying at its core and their will be freebies galore from Eastpak. The standard is international so prepare to be impressed and then some.  (Words: Laura Thornley)

The next Breakin’ Brass takes place on April 6th.  For more info, visit the Rich Mix website. 

The post Somewhere you should go… Breakin’ Brass, Rich Mix appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Rich Mix will be hosting the event featuring  comedian Fergus Craig, from the BBC sketch show Sorry, I’ve Got No Head and Rahzel-inspired Beardyman, a double UK Beatbox champion and vocalist extraordinaire who has previously collaborated with Foreign Beggars and Fatboy Slim.

The absence of the Queen at this show will be eased with Mr. B Gentleman Rhymer, a “chap-hop” rapper who waxes lyrical about cricket, banjo-playing, pipe-smoking and all things genteel, with a mission to introduce the Queen’s English into hip-hop. Whether he will accomplish his mission and impress the deep, dark depths of east London will be intriguing to see and hear.

Doc Brown will also be showcasing some of his down-to-Earth rap comedy, “I got a flash car… a Vauxhall Astra”. Videos found on YouTube of his acts show that his smooth delivery and surprising punch lines will almost guarantee some belly laughs and wry smiles. Who knew hip-hop could be so funny?

Elsewhere on the bill, comedian Cariad Lloyd, usually performing with her various alter egos, will be delivering a set and rap star wannabes will finish off the night in classic DONG style with a hip-hop karaoke session. Great night, guaranteed we thinks.  (Words: Lamiat Sabin) 

The post Somewhere you should go… DONG appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

By moving an arrow along a map of each city, you select which artist’s video to watch according to its location on the line. All engage with a particular urban site but, unsurprisingly since the participating artists include performers, animators, a ballet dancer, a storyteller and a grime mc, the works vary massively, giving the exhibition an exciting, sprawling, collage-like feel…

…To read the rest, click here to visit Rachel Segal Hamilton’s blog, Detour.

Follow Rachel on Twitter: @rachsh

The post Something you should see…Slice: London – Lahore @ Rich Mix appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

‘Origins: Festival of First Nations’, 28^th June – 9^th July. Click here for more info.

The post Somewhere you should go….Origins: Festival of First Nations appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

The post Somewhere you should go…Tongue Fu at the Rich Mix, June 30th appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

It combines a mix of dance physicality, French folk music and eye-catching design and four dancers in total take to the stage to describe the story of a little bird who shuns migration for a winter in Paris; all because she falls in love with the songs played by a Parisian street musician, (a nice twist on the way humans and birds interact, no?). The play was commissioned by Brighton Festival but will be spending some time at the Rich Mix, Bethnal Green – a great opportunity to indulge your inner-child.(Words: Laura Thornley)

For more info, visit the Rich Mix site.

The post Something you should see…Draw Me A Bird appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.