Jesse Serwer, Author at LargeUp

Kool Relief: Kool Herc Fundraiser At Sutra Tonight

Words by Eddie STATS Houghton If you never did know, rap's founding father Kool Herc has been in and out of the hospital due to kidney stones. Apparently the music legend is in need of major surgery but ... Read More...

Double Mint: The Secret Life of Prince’s Trini ‘Twinz’

Words by Jesse Serwer If you've caught any of Prince's recent shows at Madison Square Garden or elsewhere, chances are your eyes spent a great deal of time taking in the sight of his new dancers-slash-ba... Read More...

Awoah: Vybz Kartel and Eminem Throw a ‘White Trash Party’

Words by Jesse Serwer We've been telling anyone within earshot for months that a proper collaboration between Vybz Kartel and an A-list rapper needs to happen not now but RIGHT NOW. By any means. And the... Read More...

N’ap Boule: Sha Money XL to Release Kreyol Rap EP

Words by Jesse Serwer, via MTV Haitian-American hip-hop producer Sha Money XL discussed his ongoing involvement with relief efforts in Haiti with MTV this week, on the one-year anniversary of the tragic ... Read More...

Irie FM: Gyptian Gets A Seat at NPR’s Tiny Desk

Words by Jesse Serwer In spite of the huge 2010 that Gyptian had across the Caribban disapora and at urban radio, mainstream media coverage of the phenomenon was quite thin. So it was a pleasant surpris... Read More...

Haitian V Makes A Doritos Commercial

Words by Jesse Serwer and J-RockaZ Central Brooklyn, and Flatbush in particular, is probably the only place in the world where at any given moment you can find people from every Caribbean island— Haitian... Read More...

Toppa Top 10: Dancehall Dances of the Decade

Words by Jesse Serwer, as determined by Kendell "H1st0ry" Hinds The 2000s was the decade when the dancers took over dancehall, and dance steps became, arguably, just as important as the music. Hit after hi... Read More...

Ring ‘n Ting: Jamaican Boxing Goes Primetime

Words by Jesse Serwer In the '70s, '80s and '90s, Jamaica could be counted on to produce a world-class boxer every couple of years. There was Mike "The Bodysnatcher" McCallum; the late Trevor Berbick, kn... Read More...

Toppa Top 10: Caribbean Artists Nicki Minaj Should Collaborate With

Words By Jesse Serwer Not on the list After much anticipation, female-rapper-of-the-moment Nicki Minaj dropped her debut LP Pink Friday last week to mixed reviews and brisk sales. We couldn't help but not... Read More...

Vado x Mavado = “M.O.V.A.D.O.”

Words by Jesse Serwer Image jacked from The Fader "Vado!" "Huhhhhhhhh" "No, I mean Mavado." We can only imagine how confusing the session for "M.O.V.A.D.O.," Harlem rapper Vado's new collaboration wi... Read More...

Mad Lion x Dr. Dre = ‘Kush (Refix)’

Words by Jesse Serwer Word has it that Mad Lion, the ruff, gruff, Boogie Down Productions-affiliated deejay behind such mid-'90s raggamuffin rap classics as "Take It Easy" and "Double Trouble," now oper... Read More...

Real Talk: Vybz Kartel was (almost) on Blueprint 3?

Words by Jesse Serwer, via RWD Photo by Peter Dean Rickards Jay-Z stopped into New York radio station Hot 97's morning show with Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg while making the publicity rounds for De... Read More...

Author Jesse Serwer