This Mural is one of the most beautiful pieces of street art that I’ve ever seen.

What is the idea behind this piece? What does it represent?

The idea was to step out of our comfort zone and show the public what graffiti artists can be capable of. There is an amazing amount of quality work being produced within Montreal’s graffiti scene. Unfortunately, bad press and political strategies often only show the “negative” side of it , creating unneeded friction between citizens and our culture. Graffiti as a form of visual language can be hard to comprehend for most. We thought it would be interesting to paint this mural in a more common language, using imagery that anyone can understand, initiating dialog and building bridges. For this, we chose to inspire ourselves from Alphonse Mucha, father to Art Nouveau (1860-1939). A style of art that most people know or have seen before. Of course we gave it our own flavour and used N.D.G as the main theme. The end product being our take on “La Notre-Dame-de-Grâce” Our Lady of Grace”

The above photo is from an excellent collection called “Famous People Hanging Out With Their Vinyl“, courtesy of Dangerous Minds.

Trane lookin’ serene in Queens, in 1963. And, to get your weekend started on the right note, some jazzy beats based on one of the legendary saxophonist’s more laid back tracks:

09 Tribute to John Coltrane by Tek Nalo G

Photo props: theimpossiblecool

At a recent Justice Department event, Attorney General Eric Holder jokingly demanded that David Simon and Ed Burns produce a new season of The Wire. Simon’s response?

The Attorney-General’s kind remarks are noted and appreciated … I’ve spoken to Ed Burns and we are prepared to go to work on season six of The Wire if the Department of Justice is equally ready to reconsider and address its continuing prosecution of our misguided, destructive and dehumanising drug prohibition.

So basically, no.

Props: TWiB!

The official trailer for “Beats, Rhymes & Life”, Michael Rapaport’s documentary of A Tribe Called Quest, has just been released! The movie’s official poster and release dates have also been unveiled.

I seriously cannot articulate how pumped I am for this film.

h/t: TheRapUp and Nah Right

There’s a documentary going around the internet (legitimately and legally) about the deaths of the Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac, two of the biggest hip hop stars this mortal realm has ever known.  Many of the links are US only, so here’s one that streams it online worldwide.

Here’s the description:

Biggie and Tupac is a no holds barred investigation into the still unsolved murders of two of the biggest superstars rap has ever produced; Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls, and Tupac Shakur. Answering the crusading calls for justice from Biggie’s mother Voletta, Broomfield hits the streets from East Coast to West Coast, putting his own life at risk as he uncovers sensational new evidence that points directly to the involvement of the LAPD and imprisoned Death Row records co-founder Marion ‘Suge’ Knight in the violent slayings that shocked the hip hop world

I haven’t seen the film yet, so I can’t comment.  But I’m stoked that people haven’t forgotten.  In a world where there’s so much technology and resources, it’s still surprising that no one was ever able to solve these decades-old murders.

Trailer is below:

Watch more free documentaries

Get ready to spend 49 minutes with Mos Def in Japan.

Rhyme Spitters is a sick documentary series chronicling dope freestylers from all over the place.  I’ve got all four of them for you listed below, so check ‘em out if you’ve got some time when you’re bored.  The best part? It’s free and streamable online.   

That’s a lie, the best part of Rhyme Spitters 3 has to be “You get booed worse than R. Kelly standing in front of a pre school.”  Cold.

Rhyme Spitters 2 from Rhyme Spitters on Vimeo.

Rhyme Spitters 4 from Rhyme Spitters on Vimeo.