Mark Farina (born in Chicago, Illinois, USA on March 25, 1969) is a disc jockey and musician, known for his Chicago house, acid jazz and downtempo works. Notable releases include Mood (KMS Records, 1989) and the Mushroom Jazz series (Om Records, 1996–2011), and recently known also from house compilations El Divinio. He is primarily identified with the house music scene in San Francisco, California, where he resides, but DJs widely around the world.

Shortly after Mark befriended Derrick Carter in 1988 at a record store in Chicago, his passion for House music, and sharing it with the world, exploded. Mark experimented with a deeper style, dropping De La Soul, disco classics and other jazzy soulful stuff that wasn’t being played in the main rooms of nightclubs. While exploring his love for the purist forms of House Music, Mark developed his trademark style, known as "Mushroom Jazz": acid jazz infused with the West Coast’s jazzy, organic productions along with urban beats. Fans embraced Mark’s downtempo style so much that he started a weekly Mushroom Jazz club night in San Francisco with Patty Ryan. In 3 years at the club, Farina and Mushroom Jazz established a very strong following. When the club closed, Farina continued the tradition by releasing a series of CDs under the same name, Mushroom Jazz. Since then, Mark has been traveling the globe performing hundreds of shows each year. His House sets have been described as the jazzy side of Chicago House mixed San Francisco style. Some of his sets have been known to last up to 8 hours. Sometimes Farina will play two different rooms at the same party, showcasing his range of talents. URB, MUZIK and BPM Magazines have all had him on their Top DJs In The World lists.

Discography (Selected Releases)[link]

• Geograffiti EP (Great Lakes Audio)
• Mushroom Jazz series
  • Mushroom Jazz 7 (Mushroom Jazz Recordings)
  • Mushroom Jazz 6 (Om)
  • Mushroom Jazz 5 (Om)
  • Mushroom Jazz 4 (Om)
  • Mushroom Jazz 3 (Om)
  • Mushroom Jazz 2 (Om)
  • Mushroom Jazz 1 (Om)
• Fabric 40 (Fabric)
• Live In Tokyo (Om)
• House of OM (Om)
• Sessions (MOS)
• Seasons (Moonshine)
• Imperial Dub (Imperial)
• United DJs of America (DMC)
• San Francisco Sessions (Om)
• Connect (Om)
• Live at Om w/Derrick Carter (Om)
• Air Farina (Om)

Others[link]

There is another Mark Farina in Perth, Western Australia, he is also in the music industry but not as well known as his American namesake.

There is also an Italo Disco/Eurobeat artist named Mark Farina (real name: Mauro Farina) who runs his own studio in Verona, Italy named Team Factory (Factory Team). Team Factory studios produced and still produces the majority of popular dance tunes that come out of Italy, including "What's Up" by DJ Miko, Hey Hey Guy by Ken Laszlo, "If You Say Goodbye" by Kate Project, and plenty others. Team Factory studios has been around since 1982.

External links[link]

• Website
• Om Records biography
• Early 90's Mark Farina Mixtapes

This article on an American disc jockey is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Blue Sky Black Death (abbreviated BSBD) is a production duo based in Seattle, Washington.^[1] It consists of Kingston (born Kingston Maguire^[2]) and Young God (born Ian Taggart^[3]). They are known principally for their hip hop and instrumental music, made with a mix of live instrumentation and sampling. Their name is "a skydiving phrase alluding to beauty and death."^[4]

History[link]

Kingston and Young God met and began collaborating on music in 2003.^[5] Young God, working under the name Rev. Left, began creating beats to rap over, but abandoned rapping and started producing exclusively around 2000. Kingston, working under the name Orphan, began his solo producing career collaborating with rapper Noah23 and the Plague Language collective^[6][7][8][9] (to which Young God also contributed production). Kingston entirely produced Noah23's debut album Cytoplasm Pixel in 1999,^[10] and the two collaborated closely until Jupiter Sajitarius in 2004, after which they parted ways.^[11] In the same year, Kingston worked on projects for Virtuoso's Omnipotent Records. He contributed a number of tracks to Jus Allah's scheduled Omnipotent debut All Fates Have Changed, but the album was shelved.^[12] The tracks "Vengeance" and "Drill Sergeant" were later released on BSBD's Dirtnap mixtape,^[13] and a number of other beats recorded for the album were bootlegged on The Devil'z Rejects album Necronomicon.^[14] One Kingston beat, "Supreme (Black God's Remix)" was included on the Babygrande Records release of All Fates Have Changed in 2005.^[15]

The duo, collaborating initially under the name Torso, signed their first record deal with Mush Records in 2005 to release the label's first double-disc album.^[16] During the album's production, the duo settled on their current name.^[17] The album, A Heap of Broken Images, was released on June 23, 2006. The first disc featured twelve instrumental tracks with heavy live-instrumentation, while the second disc featured nine rap collaborations made with traditional hip hop sampling, and a closing instrumental. The guests included Rob Sonic, Mike Ladd, Jus Allah, Sabac Red, Wise Intelligent, A-Plus, Pep Love, Chief Kamachi, Myka 9, Virtuoso, Awol One and Holocaust.^[18] The album received acclaim from various sources, including Vapors, Word, Mean Street, UK Hip Hop and Allmusic,^[19] and landed the duo on URB's "Next 100."^[20]

The album's acclaimed production led to the duo landing a record deal with popular independent rap label Babygrande Records later in 2006. Their first release on the label was a full-length collaboration with Holocaust, titled Blue Sky Black Death Presents: The Holocaust, released on September 5. Holocaust provided all the album's vocals with no guest appearances, and BSBD provided production for every track. The album included the duo's first 12-inch single The Ocean / No Image.^[21] The duo's next album was a collaboration with another Wu-Tang affiliate, Sunz of Man and Black Market Militia member Hell Razah. Their album Razah's Ladder was released on October 23, 2007. Unlike The Holocaust, the album included outside guest appearances, featuring Crooked I, Shabazz the Disciple, Ill Bill, Sabac Red and Prodigal Sunn.^[22] The duo strayed from the dark soundscapes featured on The Holocaust, instead providing a soulful backdrop for Razah. Shortly before the release of Razah's Ladder, the duo released their first mixtape, titled Dirtnap, featuring various unreleased collaborations and two instrumentals from their forthcoming album.^[13]

The duo's next release was their first all-instrumental project, Late Night Cinema, released on April 29, 2008. The dense instrumentals featured contributions from violinists, organists, trumpeters, synth players and vocalists, as well as guitar, keyboard and drum kit work from the producers themselves.^[23] The album received high acclaim from XLR8R, Music-Reviewer, PopMatters, SputnikMusic and RapReviews.com. RapReviews writer Pedro Hernandez stated "With this album, Blue Sky Black Death pushes the limits of what hip-hop music can be" and called it "essential listening".^[24] BSBD stayed active online throughout 2008, releasing two instrumental podcast blends titled Gifts in Jail Vol. 1 and Gifts in Jail Vol. 2, as well as a screwed version of Late Night Cinema titled Lean Night Cinema.

In June 2008, after an online petition from fans, Babygrande released the acclaimed instrumentals from The Holocaust on vinyl and CD.^[25] BSBD then contributed twelve of thirteen tracks for Phoenix MC Gutta's debut album Heads Will Roll, released on Babygrande on September 2.^[26] On September 30, Babygrande released the album The Evil Jeanius, by pairing Jean Grae vocals with Blue Sky Black Death beats.^[27] November saw the duo's fifth release of the year, Slow Burning Lights, an indie pop project with singer Yes Alexander^[28]), which was recorded and completed two years before its release.^[29]

Third Party, a collaboration with Alexander Chen of Boy in Static, was released on Fake Four Inc in 2010.

In 2011, Blue Sky Black Death released a new album, Noir, on Fake Four Inc. The duo also released For the Glory, a collaborative album with rapper Nacho Picasso, in the same year.

Two more collaborative albums with Nacho Picasso, Lord of the Fly and Exalted, were released in 2012.^[30]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• A Heap of Broken Images (2006)
• Blue Sky Black Death Presents: The Holocaust (2006) with Holocaust
• Razah's Ladder (2007) with Hell Razah
• Late Night Cinema (2008)
• The Holocaust Instrumentals (2008)
• The Evil Jeanius (2008) with Jean Grae
• Slow Burning Lights (2008) with Yes Alexander
• The Evil Jeanius Instrumentals (2009)
• The Razah's Ladder Instrumentals (2009)
• The Indie Rock Essentials (2009)
• Third Party (2010) with Alexander Chen
• The Gutta Instrumentals (2010)
• Noir (2011)
• For the Glory (2011) with Nacho Picasso
• Lord of the Fly (2012) with Nacho Picasso
• Exalted (2012) with Nacho Picasso
• Razah's Ladder 2 (TBA) with Hell Razah^[31]

Singles[link]

• The Ocean / No Image (2006)
• Rebel to the Grain / Slapbox with Jesus (2008)

Mixes/Podcasts/Other[link]

• Dirtnap Mixtape (2007)
• 07/10/15 URB.com (2007) exclusive Podcast
• Gifts in Jail, Vol. 1 (2008)
• Gifts in Jail, Vol. 2 (2008)
• Lean Night Cinema (2008) Late Night Cinema screwed
• Recession Proof (2009)
• J(A)Y(Z) (2009)
• Lost and Unreleased (2009)
• Noir + Violet (2011) Noir screwed
• 13 (2012)

Productions[link]

• "Vengeance" "Drill Sergeant" by Jus Allah on All Fates Have Changed (unreleased version, 2004) Kingston solo
• "Black Godz (Remix)" by Jus Allah on All Fates Have Changed (2005) Kingston solo
• "Call the Police" by Midaz on Beast Wars (2007)
• "Engage My Words (Remix)" "The Ritual Part 1" "Darkness Deepens" "Anywhere" "Shift Of The Earth" by Sabac Red on The Collection Vol. 2 (2007)
• "Darkness Deepens" by Ill Bill on Black Metal (2007)
• "Halos (Remix)" by Juice on The Death Certificate (2007)
• All tracks except "Thrashin'" by Gutta on Heads Will Roll (2008)
• "Audiobiography (Remix)" by T.H.U.G. Angelz on Welcome to Red Hook Houses (2008)
• "Elevate" by Ras Kass on Institutionalized Volume 2 (2008)
• "The Ritual" "Shift Of The Earth" "Breaking Through" "Darkness Deepens" by Sabac Red on The Ritual (2008)
• "The Park (Remix)" by CunninLynguists on Strange Journey Volume Two (2009)
• "IntroFlection" "The Final Conflict" "Piercing" "Heartbeat Stopper" "No Fear" "Propaganda" "The Bay Of Pigs" "OutroSpection" by Virtuoso on The Final Conflict (2010)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Blue Sky Black Death on Mush Records
• Blue Sky Black Death on Fake Four Inc
• Blue Sky Black Death on Babygrande Records

Hell Razah (born Chron Smith^[1]) is an American rapper. He is best known as a member of Sunz of Man, an early affiliate of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Razah is rumored to have suffered a Brain Aneurysm in April 2010.^[2] He was quick to recover and continue recording. He came to begin recording under the moniker Heaven Razah.

Recording history[link]

Da Last Future & Sunz of Man[link]

Razah made his rap debut in the early 90s as a member of the group Da Last Future, an early incarnation of the Sunz of Man, which included Killah Priest, Shabazz the Disciple, Prodigal Sunn, Supreme and 7th Ambassador.^[3] Razah and 7th Ambassador self-released the single "Livin' in Hell" b/w "Mental Combat" independently before the group adopted the Sunz of Man moniker.^[4] Razah recorded a number of tracks with the group before their induction into the Wu-Tang family, including "Deep in the Water", "Writing Rhymes With a Liquid Pen" (aka "Elements"), "Lulla Bye" and "Psychic Hotline".^[5]

In 1995, the group adopted the moniker Sunz of Man, and signed a record deal with Wu-Tang/Priority Records.^[6] SoM released a number of singles on Wu-Tang Records, including "Soldiers of Darkness", "No Love Without Hate" and "Bloody Choices",^[7] in anticipation of their 1996 debut album Nothing New Under the Sun. Due to internal conflicts and label complications, the album was shelved.^[8] Sunz of Man later signed a record deal with Red Ant Entertainment for the release of their official 1998 debut The Last Shall Be First, with the group's roster shaved down to just Razah, Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn and 60 Second Assassin.^[9] The album was one of the most successful Wu-Tang affiliate releases, debuting at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and No. 7 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.^[10]

After the departure of Killah Priest in 1998, the group took a hiatus. 1999 saw the release of The First Testament, which featured previously recorded material from the group, including the early tracks from Da Last Future.^[11] Razah, Prodigal Sunn and 60 Second Assassin returned in 2002 with the album Saviorz Day, the second official Sunz of Man studio album.^[12] The group has yet to release a third studio album, but it has been reported that the group has reconciled with Shabazz the Disciple, Killah Priest and Supreme.^[3]

Solo career[link]

Razah made his solo debut in 2001, though quietly, with the independent release When All Hell Breaks Loose. The album featured guest appearances from 7th Ambassador, Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn and Timbo King of Royal Fam, and production from Supreme.^[13] The album spawned the single "Champaigne Room" b/w "Ghetto Love".^[14] The tracks "Must B tha Music", "Oh! Now You Bangin'", "Ghetto Government", "Champaigne Room", "Like It or Not", "What We Came to Do", "B.B.P. (Business Before Pleasure)" and "Rowdy, Rowdy" made up roughly half of the 2004 Sunz of Man compilation Elements, with the other half made up of tracks from The First Testament.^[15]

Razah's next solo album, Renaissance Child, was released in early 2007 on Nature Sounds Records. The album featured appearances from Timbo King, Tragedy Khadafi, R.A. The Rugged Man, Talib Kweli, Viktor Vaughn, Bronze Nazareth, Killah Priest and Ras Kass, and production from Godz Wrath, MF DOOM, Bronze Nazareth, Krohme and 4th Disciple.^[16] The album was a well-received, critical success and featured the singles "The Renaissance"^[17] and "Buried Alive" b/w "Project Jazz".^[18] In October 2007, Razah released his next album, Razah's Ladder, entirely produced by the production duo Blue Sky Black Death.^[19] The album also was acclaimed,^[20] due to BSBD's soulful production work, and also to Razah's new spiritual lyrical direction, inspired by the recent death of his father.^[21] The album featured guest appearances from Prodigal Sunn, Shabazz the Disciple, Crooked I, Ill Bill and Sabac Red, and featured no singles.^[22] Self-funded videos were shot for the tracks "Razah's Ladder"^[23] and "Audiobiography", the latter directed by Sunz of Man producer Supreme,^[24] and "Razah's Ladder",^[25] Directed by Apademik.

Collaborations[link]

In 2004, Hell Razah and 4th Disciple released a full-length collaboration album, Freedom of Speech, under the title "Sunz of Man presents". The album featured fifteen newly recorded tracks with 4th Disciple, and five other previously released tracks from When All Hell Breaks Loose.^[26] The album featured the single "Article One" b/w "Project Love".^[27]

In 2005, Razah, Killah Priest, Royal Fam's Timbo King, Tragedy Khadafi and William Cooper formed the underground supergroup Black Market Militia. The group released their self-titled debut album Black Market Militia that same year, with production from Godz Wrath and Bronze Nazareth, and guest appearances from dead prez and Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets.^[28] The album spawned the singles "Audobon Ballroom" b/w "Thug Nation"/"Hood Lullabye" and "Gem Stars" b/w "Mayday!".^[29] Razah's next album collaboration album was with Shabazz the Disciple and producer Ayatollah as the group T.H.U.G. Angelz, titled Welcome to Red Hook Houses, to be released on July 8, 2008 on Babygrande Records. Other releases came in 2008 such as solo album titled Heaven Razah, and Article 2: Right to Bare Arms, a second full-length collaboration with 4th Disciple.^[30] In an October 2007 interview, Razah also announced plans for numerous other releases for the year. He announced that the Sunz of Man were reunited and planned on releasing an album sometime soon. He also stated that The Maccabeez, a group consisting of himself, Killah Priest and Timbo King, were nearly finished recording their debut album. Black Market Militia are also planning for another album. Another possible release is a collaboration between Razah, Shabazz and Blue Sky Black Death, and a project from G.G.O. (Ghetto Government Officialz), which consists of Razah, 7th Ambassador, Lazarus, Face God and other Red Hook locals.^[31]

Hell Razah suffered a Brain Aneurysm in 2010. His recovery was quick. He began to go under the name Heaven Razah in turn.

In 2011, Hell Razah's health was improving and he said on Twitter several albums will come out in the future, including Heaven Razah 2,^[32] the second album with Shabazz the Disciple as T.H.U.G. Angelz (produced by Ayatollah and 4th Disciple),^[33] Razah's Ladder 2 produced by Blue Sky Black Death,^[34] a gospel/rock album produced by Krohme called Krohme Razahs,^[35] an album with Shyheim called The Verrazano^[36] and the sequel to Freedom of Speech called Write to Bare Arms produced by 4th Disciple.^[37] According to Timbo King, there will be also a second Black Market Militia album.^[38] An album with Killah Priest as Thug Vaticans called The Lamb’s Supper will come out in 2012. ^[39] Another collaboration album, with producer Tokyo Cigar under the name Heavenly Cartel, is planned for 2012 and is called Spiritual Kung Fu. ^[40]

Discography[link]

Solo[link]

• When All Hell Breaks Loose (2001)
• Freedom of Speech (2004) with 4th Disciple
• Renaissance Child (2007)
• Razah's Ladder (2007) with Blue Sky Black Death
• Ultra Sounds of a Renaissance Child (2008)
• Heaven Razah (2010)
• Razah Reborn (2011)

Collaborations[link]

• The Last Shall Be First (1998)
• The First Testament (1999)
• Saviorz Day (2002)
• Elements (The First Testament re-release) (2004)
• Black Market Militia (2005) with Black Market Militia
• The Old Testament (2006)
• Welcome to Red Hook Houses (2008) with Shabazz the Disciple as T.H.U.G. Angelz

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Hell Razah on Myspace

Beijing Evening News (Chinese: 北京晚报; Pinyin: Běijīng Wǎnbào) is a Chinese language newspaper in the People's Republic of China from Beijing. It was founded on March 15, 1958. Mao Zedong wrote the title for it in 1964.

It featured the best-selling novel Beijinger in New York by Glen Cao as a television series in 1991. In 2002, it was found to have lifted a fake article about the U.S. Congress' Supposed Move From Washington D.C. in protest of better facilities from The Onion.^[1]

This article related to newspapers in the People's Republic of China is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

References[link]

1. ^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2002/06/08/MN129538.DTL