by SCOTT C

Now is the time to get off your ass and make amends, people. All of you out there who’ve been putting off getting in touch with your childhood friends, or that special ex-boyfriend who moved to Thailand two years ago, or your crabby sister, should bite the bullet and use the opportunity you’ve got. It’s a free pass for anyone who sucks at keeping in touch. Make sure you use it.

Remember Patrick Cooke Poirier and Daniel Rosenberg’s documentary Before It Drops ? The locally made doc looked into the lives of Montreal hip hop producers Simahlak, Parafino, DJ Manifest and DJ Twitch, and has apparently sparked the interest of the New Hampshire Film Expo, Festival Urbain Trois-Rivières and the Philadelphia Film Festival, to name a few. With pending festival hopes yet to be fulfilled, it’s great to know that people outside of the city will be getting a closer look at some of our homegrown talent. Local director Pablo Aravena has also been blazing worldwide trails with his feature film Next: A Primer on Urban Painting, and is now rarely in Montreal for more than two days at a time. You can learn more about the aforementioned films at www.beforeitdrops.com and www.nextthemovie.com.

Big-ups to Monk.e, Maybe Watson, 7D and the whole crew who just got back from a six-week mission of hip hop diplomacy in France. Six weeks is a long time, and I’m told that some links were made and music recorded as well. Hook a brother up!

Some of you have been asking about my relationship with new Mirror writer Narcel X, and asking if there’s any animosity between us. Yeah, there’s beef. Just the other day, I had to give him a flying elbow for not showing his hip hop nation membership card when he came in the building, but it’s all good now. We have an understanding. There’s more than enough room for everyone, just as long as you leave some cheezies for the next man, seen?

What are you doing for New Year’s Eve? Well, you’re not alone in trying to avoid disastrous events over the holidays, but next week I can let you in on a few jams that you probably should know about. Don’t sleep.

Seven reasons I’ll see you on New Year’s:
1. Bernard Wright “The Master Rocker” (GRP)
2. Bernard Wright “Bread Sandwiches” (GRP)
3. Eddie Russ “Take a Look at Yourself” (Monument)
4. Nas ft. Rugged Intellect “Hustlers” remix (independent)
5. Raekwon/El Michels Affair “The PJs... From Afar” Pete Rock remix (CDR)
6. Mos Def “Napoleon Dynamite” (Geffen)
7. Chan “Radio Wars” (Fat Beats)

COUP CANCELLED, REBELS WOUNDED... fathead@videotron.ca

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