Let’s kick things off tonight with a good old-fashioned house party. This one features the likes of Braille (Portland, OR) and Nato Caliph (St. Louis, MO), among others.

BASIC House is located at 1008 S. Lincoln Ave. in Urbana. The party starts at 6:30 p.m. and admission is $5.

Entry instructions after the jump.

Prince Akeem (Akeem F. Muhammad), a Chicago native, was educated in the city’s south side Nation of Islam schools. Akeem’s commitment was so in-depth that by the time he had reached his early twenties, NOI leader Louis Farrakhan had appointed him Minister of Youth. In 1988 the Nation of Islam purchased the Stoney Island Mosque in Chicago for just over 2 million dollars and on February 26, 1989, Farrakhan organized a Savior's Day event (celebrating the birth date of Wallace Fard Muhammad), inaugurating the grounds and naming the center Mosque Maryam in honor of black womanhood.

It seems that the industry’s continual search for flash-in-the-pan “bangers” has done more than just dumb down mainstream hip-hop. It has made it virtually impossible to find complete pieces of work, whole albums that stand as a cohesive offering. Albums like A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, The Beastie Boys’ Ill Communication or Mos Def’s Black on Both Sides are becoming rarities. Don’t fret — I found at least five albums worth your time this year.

In the late 90s, the C-U scene got a boost when DJ Bozak (Adam Boskey) submitted a proposal to WEFT (90.1 fm) for a late night hip-hop show. The proposal was granted and “Needledrops” was born. Giving attention to both local and independent artists, “Needledrops” became a platform for the underground, serving as both an outlet for artists and a source of new music for heads in the community. There was never a shortage of guests or co-hosts (including a three year stint by DJ Spinnerty). Whether in studio or on location, they managed to land countless interviews with the likes of RJD2, Blueprint, Brother Ali, Jurassic 5 and Mix Master Mike, among others. Soon, gig offers began to roll in from area clubs for Bozak and Spinnerty, making it tough to stay committed. Soon after, Spinnerty relocated to San Francisco; by 2006, a busy schedule forced Bozak to relinquish the time slot and the show has yet to be replaced.

So what now?

Through pure chance, I recently acquired a box of free records. This happens from time to time, as I am known as a bit of a music fanatic and I dabble in the art of djing. This particular box was not filled with standard fare thrift store throwaways. No Ronnie Milsap or The Lettermen to be found. No Anne Murray or Jim Nabors in sight. Instead, it was filled with treasures from hip-hop’s golden era and beyond. As I dug through the box, gasping at nearly ever other sleeve, I started mentally categorizing each record into its respective wave of the movement. In the first wave, for example, I would put Kool Moe Dee’s “How Ya Like Me Now" or "Run D.M.C.’s “You Be Illin'.” Artists like 3rd Bass and Digital Underground occupied the second wave (filed nicely alongside the likes of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul), while Outkast’s Stankonia album stood atop the third wave, representing modern hip-hop. What a find. Three waves of music spanning 25 years plus—a veritable crash course in the history of the genre, handed over in a single cardboard box.