Back 2 My Roots Video

Take a gander at the Tygah Woods video for the track "Back 2 My Roots" shot by Larry Legaux of Onpoint Solutions. Featuring appearances by Rusty Lowdown, J-Dubble, D. Francis, Blaze the Verbal Chemist & Slangston Hughes of the Go Hard Gang. ENJOY!!!

Support The Home Team!!!

If you're a fan of THE Connoisseur of Fine Rhyme or my Tygah Woods crew, please support us by requesting "Money IS The Message" off of my mixtape, Money & The Message and "Marie Laveaux" by Tygah Woods on local college stations WTUL 91.5 FM (Tulane University, 504-865-5885) and KLSU 91.1 FM (LSU, 225-578-5578).

You'll also be happy to know that "Never Can Say Goodbye" off of the stellar LP, Go Hard: The Moonwalker Edition by Tygah Woods can be requested on Q93 by calling (504 260-9393)

One of My Many Collabs...

It seems '09 is the year of collabs pour moi. Check out a collab I did with the homie, Wes B, J-Dubble and Blaze the Verbal Chemist. The track is called Breaks, Beats & Rhymes. Hope you enjoy...

Just In Case You Missed It...

I just like really like this picture... don't mind me.

Two-eighth's of the Tygah Woods (www.tygahwoods.com) crew;
Blaze the Verbal Chemist & J-Dubble.

Now get yo hands up and get em high!!!

Verbal Slang: THE Product of Greatness & THE Connoisseur of Fine Rhyme

D.Francis joins J-Dubble for a rendition of "Back 2 Your Roots."

Sharing the stage w/one of my musical mentors, Mr. Still Fantastic, J-Dubble.
Always a great feeling...

I got my two step minus the drink.

Rusty Lowdown, the 6 Million Dollar Hypeman and host of "A Night With Slangston Hughes," Blaze the Verbal Chemist & J-Dubble displaying the brand spanking new Tygah Woods tees.

This is probably right before the fire marshall shut down the show. An energized version of "Fall Back," which had me jumping on chairs. Check out my homie, Ken joining in on the festivities with me.

*All pics courtesy of Taslim Van Huttum of www.abiquitie.blogspot.com*

With the state of our current economy, I got this in the mail and thought we could all use a laugh.

Check Out My Detroit Homie This Tuesday!!!

At the Dragon's Den, tomorrow night, 3/24, come out & show your support for a Detroit emcee by the name of D.Allie, who is currently touring the US & decided to stop in the Mardi Gras Mecca. D reminds me of a slightly grittier Trugoy a la Stakes Is High. But don't get it twisted, D.Allie combines his lyrical dexterity on joints that have him giving listeners social commentary as well as have fun & party jams. Slangston Hughes co-signs and shall be in the house and believes you should be too. Additional performances by Floopy Head & Truth Universal.

A Night of Rhythm & Rhyme

"Now you know and knowing is half the battle." Come out to Hostel Ultra Lounge & enjoy an intimate, relaxed night with Slangston Hughes & special guests, Tygah Woods along with my new band!!!

Random Top 10 (March 7-8)

"Oh, it's the life to be up on the scene..." Excuse me for not uphelding my oath to bring five random women for the past two days. However, I'm making up for that with today's Random Top 10 List. Enough literal procrastination here goes...

1.) Jessica White (FLAWLESS! 'Nuff said.)

2.) Elisha Dushku (She's been that chick for quite some time now. Reminds me of a Greek temptress.)

3.) Graph (No, no not the rapper. This sultry & confident member of Talib's Idle Warship can make any black snake moan. Word!)

4.) Rosalind Sanchez (Still waiting on that breakout role that really puts her in the forefront. Till then, we can just enjoy the outfits she "breaks out" of.)

5.) Selita Ebanks (Mariah's on it but don't some of you think Nick Cannon made a mistake?)

6.) Vida Guerrera (For some reason as beautiful as she is, I though she was a sididdy airhead, boy I was glad to be mistaken.)

7.) Vanity (Though she's no longer out there like that, Last Dragon is still one of my favorite movies of all time and Vanity is still eye candy, even in her forties.)

8.) Kelis (Did you not watch "Milkshake?!?! AND "Bossy" for that matter???)

9.) Christina Milian (Been on her since she was on the Disney Channel & as far as I'm concerned, has yet to lose a step.)

10.) Christina Aguilera (Songs have been written about her as a reference to the moving of that powder. I wanted to purposely keep the Christina-isms/ Disney Channel references going. She gets the nod mainly for having her child and coming back more refined physically than ever. Word!)

* Please note: there will be a list for today, March 9th as well*

Random Top 5 (3/6/09)

Okay so here goes...

1.) Monica Bellucci (lips & latex, OUCH!!!)

2.) Salma Hayek (Still got it & never lost it. Her scene in Dusk till Dawn gave me the chills as a kid.)

3.) Elisha Cuthbert (one of the HOTTEST Caucasian women ever, blond hair don't care!!!)

4.) Kristin Kreuk (it's as if her eyes tell you a story. I used to watch Smallville just for her yo.)

5.) Tyra Banks (say what you want about her weight or forehead, she's got it all. Gotta love a woman with her own business. Seems she'll be taking Oprah's place whenever she decides to give it up. That Fresh Prince episode still resonates with me to this day!)

Where You Can Find Me...

Ignore the date. This is where it goes down every Saturday night. Some of the most talented peeps can be found in this nook of the Mardi Gras Mecca. Very cool open mic spot.

You have the address and the directions. Note: Pass It On pops off @ 8:30 ish EVERY Saturday. I'll be there (puttin' knowledge on ya mind & work up on ya block) and think you should be too.

Brought to you by Truth Universal, Grassroots! goes down EVERY Saturday as well at the Dragon's Den. The lineup this month speaks for itself. A blend of various flavors within New Orleans' Hip-Hop cupboard. Like I said, I'll be there. This is where you can find me.

The Winners' Cup Continued...

Backshot (pause) of J-Dubble rockin the mic, along with Mr. Chelata on lead guitar.

Check out the sweat on my brow yo!!! I DON'T PLAY!!! 110% or nothing at all.

Intelligence of Jealous Monk ROCKED the Winners' Cup. PERIOD.
One of the dopest freestylers in the city.

Salute me, me... salute

Just in case you forgot, we go hard like Tygah Woods, go hard like Tygah Woods!!!

Hip-Hop mosh pit Pt. Deux. The Black Emo Rapper is alive I tell ya!!!

In deep thought before the next song...maybe.

Cash Is King!!! Bassist Cash Moore of the Microphone Corivalry House Band.

*Much THANX to Kamau Foderingham for these pics*

Random Top 5 (3/5/09)

I'm keeping this list short & sweet not much of a description for each. I'm a little tired...

1.) Stacey Dash (40+ and she's still got it!!! Real talk.)

2.) Keri Hilson (Love her style. Not sure if it's her hair, her height, her clothes - did you see them pants on Rip the Runaway, HA, I did. Turnin' me on ain't even the phrase.)

3.) Angela Simmons (the younger female Simmons gets my vote, sorry Vanessa. Simply irresistible.)

4.) Joy Bryant (the looks of a model & the elegance of a Victorian era leading lady. I love the way she talks. Some of the best natural beauty I've seen in a minute. That's very important to me.)

5.)Malaak Compton Rock (Did you NOT watch Black In America last week?!?! The woman is FOINE!!!)

The Winners' Cup

I explore lyrical depths you little shits couldn't fathom...

The 6 Million Dollar Hypeman, Rusty Lowdown

Extended Tygah Woods fam, my sis', N-Boogie

Take two steps and just fall back...

THE Work In Progress, D. Francis of Tygah Woods

Mr. Still Fantasic, J-Dubble

Without further adieu, THE Microphone Corivalry House Band


Blaze the Verbal Chemist, THE Product of Greatness

Me... did you happen to check out the fit?
Gray's my 2nd favorite color right now.
Different shades at the same time are wsup.

Verbal Slang... Slangston Hughes x Blaze the Verbal Chemist

2 time Microphone Corivalry Emcee Competition champ, J-Dubble
giving the people what they want... great Hip-Hop!!!

GO HARD LIKE TYGAH WOODS!!! Hip-Hop mash pit!!!

*Pics courtesy of Taslim, check out more of her work @ www.abiquite.blogspot.com*

168 Hours From Now... (3/1/09)

*I wrote this on Saturday, February 21, 2009. A week prior to a show, The Winners' Cup put on by me & my production company, P.T.E. Productions.*
For some reason my mind is always progressive & forward thinking. Though my "Winners' Cup" event (http://tinyurl.com/b8xqxf) is about 6 days away, last night I thought how would this show be remembered not just by spectators & the New Orleans Hip-Hop collective but by me. What would I take away from a show with six of the city's hottest emcees and a band that can give you a funked out version of "Shook Ones" or their crisp approach to "The Next Episode?" In actuality, I'm trying to make history and feel this is definitely a stepping stone in that direction. It's also slightly sad to say but I'm already starting to brainstorm for my next several events within the upcoming months before this one has ever taken place. A gift and a curse to say the least. The 6 Million Dollar Hypeman, Rusty Lowdown put knowledge on my mind with some great advice the other night saying "take it one show at a time," but that's hard to do when both he and I know my capabilities and what I have in store. So... I say all that to say this, A Night of Champions will commence next Saturday at the Dragon's Den beginning at 10 p.m. Hope to see you there...

So... looking back on the Winners' Cup, I ask myself if I achieved what I set out to do by creating the show in the first place: a profit, history AND most importantly, a notch in the right direction as far as New Orleans' Hip-Hop scene is concerned. I can assure you that all three of those goals were met with this event. It's one thing to make money off of a show that you invested a lot of your time, sweat and energy into BUT I'm all about breaking bread with my peers and extending the Hip-Hop culture, especially in my city. Every performer, patron, fan and Hip-Hop lover in the Dragon's Den that I talked to enjoyed the show from top to bottom and were still talking about it days after the event. It's this top of response that makes me proud to be an emcee and appreciative of all the hard work that went into the event. Thanks to the venue, all the performers, bands and spectators. The Winners' Cup was more than worth it in my eyes and has helped me to continue in my quest to push the envelope. Stay tuned for more...

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

One of my favorite mutants gets his own biopic after being the most popular character for ages. I was a little on the fence about this film at first, but this trailer gives me a little more hope. Leif Schreiber as Sabertooth & Will.I.Am as I have no clue are kind of questionable though. I guess we'll have to see.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Random Top 5 (3/4/09)

Okay, so I decided to give y'all a lil' background on why these lovely women made today's list:

1.) Aubrey O'Day (whether you love her or you hate her, you can't deny something's there. Besides being the leading lady of Danity Kane, Aubrey worked in refugee camps & battered women shelters in 3rd world countries, has her own charity AND graduated from Univ. of California with a bachelor's in poli. sci and drama.)

2.) Sarah Rosetti (so she's a member of Electrik Red, the Dream's new girl group BUT before that she was a dancer in Usher's tour troupe and music videos since '04. Not to sound cliche, but she's kinda my dream girl...)

3.) Garcelle Beauvais (I mainly picked her for being stunning for YEARS and never changing. Plus, Coming To America just went off...)

4.) Tia Carrere (From Wayne's World to Showdown in Little Tokyo to Dancing With The Stars like Jay-Z said some things never change. SHWING!!!)

5.) Gail Kim (What man wouldn't love a woman who can take care of herself physically? It's always good for you not only to have that confidence but also your date, wife, girlfriend, etc. as well.)

"Fall Back"

"Fall Back,"the lead track off of my mixtape, Money & The Message was written over a year ago sometime between September and November. I had just left a Hip-Hop group I was in for about six years and trying to come up with a song that was not only catchy but supplied a raw and emotional message that provided my new artistic direction. "Fall Back" was produced by DJ Mike Swift in 2001 from what I was told and goes to show you the timeless aesthetic of music. I had actually heard the beat before by at least a year or more when I was in my group and liked the production then but never really had any succinct ideas for the track. I did however back then think it needed a military like chorus or approach since the drums portray a "takeover" of sorts.

The lyrics came first as I saved the hook for last, wanting to end the song with something that made sense for not only me as the writer but listeners as well. The verses were my first attempt at having the first three bars be repetitive to a degree each verse. And, as some might know I took my cue from Nas' verse off the "Salute Me" Remix off of Swizz Beats' LP Ghetto Stories. The hook had to be powerful and obviously like so many choruses in musical history, summarize the song. My thought process at the time was that this would be my manifesto, my introduction into the game as Slangston Hughes, solo artist. Complete. and utter. domination.

With that being said, "Fall Back" was created. Over the past year, this has been my favorite song to perform. It provides me with the chance to display my lyrical ability and onstage energy. In all definitions of the word, "Fall Back" is RAW!!! I hope you agree and enjoy it.

* Note: the first vid is a little dark but gives you a good idea of what the song is all about. Tune in to the second vid about 8:42 in for an "amped" up version of "Fall Back."

Random Top 5 (3/3/09)

Every day - hopefully, LOL - you'll get a list of 5 of the hottest, most intelligent and productive women in the world. I took the random idea from my boy, CK of Kicks, HI and warped it to a list of daily Le Femme Nikitas. So here goes:

1.) Freida Pinto (haven't done all my research yet but, c'mon just look at her, plus she's got the hottest movie out right now)

2.) Erica Durance (she plays a quirky & snazzy Lois Lane on Smallville & I'm comic reader. 'Nuff said)

3.) Malin Akerman (that skintight spandex in Watchmen speaks volume in addition to her former work: being a Swede, 27 Dresses, Harold & Kumar, etc.)

4.) Somaya Reece (she's EVERYWHERE. Real recognize real & a Myspace friend of mine)

5.) Tiffani Thiessen (not sure why see lost the Amber but hey, Kelly Kopowski is still as beautiful as ever!!!)

Now THIS Is What You're Supposed To Blog About

* These events occurred on January 3rd of this year*

So it seemed as if the floodgates literally and physically opened Saturday night around 8:30 p.m…. flash flood and tornado warnings were in full effect… as my production manager and I continued to burn copies of Money & The Message… The Colts got ran over by one of the smallest rushers in the NFL… Living on the Westbank IS NOT all it’s cracked up to be… Getting home was definitely a challenge… flooded streets with shin high water all around me… felt like my middle name was either Ponce de Leon or circumvent the way I navigated those waters… driving a Scion tC didn’t help matters either… through it all the ride, was and is still intact… but I had a show that night, Grassroots!… which by my watch had already started… the homies; Blaze the Verbal Chemist and J-Dubble were already in the place to be (The Dragon’s Den)… got out the whip and braved the elements… with a Dockers slicker jacket and no shoes or socks… please believe I WAS NOT going to ruin the Barney Dunks…waded in that same shin high water like the old Negro spiritual… five blocks to my house… changed clothes like Jay… and was out the house within minutes… in a new outfit and rain boots that ran two sizes too small… Ouch to say the least… LOL at myself… drove up the wrong side of the street to get to the Interstate… found a good parking spot and rushed to the venue… what a coincidence that Blaze was next on stage… pulled a Clark Kent in the Dragon’s Den bathroom as I threw on some SB dunks and Express denim… premiered the Mayan Tamang purple bandana…WHAT YOU KNOW BOUT THAT ?!?!… made my entrance into Grassroots!… smashed the stage for the new year with THE Product of Greatness himself… and rocked out to Mr. Still Fantastic… sold a couple copies of the mixtape… received love from my peers and those above me who I deeply respect… shouts out to Lyrikill, Merc, A Scribe Called Quess, Truth Universal and DJ E.F. Cuttin… what a show, what a night… I’d do it all over again for the love of Hip-Hop!!!

Money & The Message "Artist Statement"

Money & The Message

I was asked over a year ago by two of my best friends and musical colleagues (what up Nishe & Blaze, I see ya!!!) what I wanted from the rap game – music industry, whatever you wanna call it! After some deliberate thought, I happened upon "two great things that tend to conflict." Being a young, middle-classed African-American – excuse me, Presidential-American – I knew the first thing I wanted was financial peace of mind and prosperity; the ability to pay off my bills and live debt free. So, obviously money was my first answer.

Secondly, over the past few years I have noticed that Hip-Hop is certainly not dead but has been flooded with materialistic and misogynistic overtones. Similar to brainwashing, listeners and audiences throughout the country find themselves cut off from anything that doesn't deal with gun talk, rim size, jewelry, how many women I've been with, drug dealing, etc. The music I grew up to and respected that talked about social, economic and racial issues has become a thing of the past. I always felt that there had to be meaning behind the music you created. It had to be something you believed in, a part of YOU. If not, then it's not genuine, but don't get it twisted, I'm not here to preach. With that being said, my second answer was a message. I wanted to send a message to ALL music listeners that Hip-Hop IS a culture, IS alive and IS MUSIC. For a while now, music has been about the beat, I decided that we should flip that concept on its back and make it about the lyrics first.

In a nutshell, that's how Money & The Message came to life. A 19-track mixtape with original production by Danny "Beatchild" Brown, Jon Jackson of American New Wave Media Group, Blaze the Verbal Chemist of Beautiful Chemistry Productions and Power 102.9's own DJ Mike Swift in addition to beats from Will. I. Am., Just Blaze, J Dilla, and The Neptunes among others. Many song concepts found throughout the mixtape, infuse these two contrasting elements that make up our everyday lives to make you as listeners not only think about but also enjoy what you're hearing. Money & The Message was released on Tuesday, December 30, 2008. I sincerely hope you can relate and enjoy my take on Hip-Hop as I continue to push the envelope.

* Money & The Message is available for streaming on http://www.reverbnation.com/slangstonhughesand at any Slangston Hughes' performance.*