We hit the Beyond the Border festival last week for some international style vocal stylings. Ending up with Ruff and Fozzy taking to the stage with Taqralik Patridge, and Inuit throat singer and spoken word artists who'd just arrived direct from Canada and was off to Norway for more goodness which was real nice. Hopefully more good sh!t will come off the back of that. When I get the snaps as well I'll chuck up the shots from the Saturday night in Cambridge at a drum and bass rave alongside Mampi Swift, Mickey Finn, Skibadee & Zinc. The night was heavy and Fozz and Ruff brought more fire to the stage before the Scratch Perverts brought it down with a heavy set.

Art Attack

If you've never seen street art battles you need to reach this. 6 skilled folk. One white wall. A bunch of black markers. Some music. Some drink and the result is a heavy night.

Ireland part 2 - THE REVISIT

After the major success of the January Tour you know we had to go back to the see the good people of the Emerald Isle and the luckily our fave promoters ever wanted it to happen to. So we went back with Ruff and Fozzy as the headliners to try kill it again. Ralph & Mud did a little ten minute P.A. to set it off in the proper style and fashion and then Ruff and Fozzy straight muredered in a way like no others can match. Their show is ridiculous and i say that with no bias. It's next level. if you ain't caught it you need to. I think we can say we achieved what we went to do and to a crowd of real good people and that makes me a happy man. Just can't wait to go back and hit up Dublin and see more of the country.


^^^ In the day before the gig Ruff and Fozzy did an instore in Plug'd Records in Cork City. The theme was red.


^^^John Gough aka Gougho the Cranker aka Dope-As-Shit-Brekkie-Chef on the wheels of steel.


^^^ Ladies and gentlemen... introducing... New Ralph Ralph Shit.


^^^Mudmowth bowling around on stage.


^^^ Ralph rocking the crowd


^^^Mud taking well deserved boy in the stush corner chill time after the gig.


Promoter Doobs showing us the colour of his Irish money. That was soon to become ours. But due to Ralph doing some seriously dodgy parking of the A.M. tour van in the centre of Cork it had been towed earlier the same day and so that money was soon to become Cork City Councils to bunk it back out the pound! Heck money comes and money goes. You got to keep your grizzly going.


^^^Crockett & Tubbs

You know the name... Beatbox Fozzy... ain't a damn thing changed!

"Pharaohe Monch is incredible..."

Whilst we were walking through bristol we just walked around a corner and bumped into Pharaohe, relaxing before he and his band tore the stage down. Dude was real impressed with Ralph's new earings so they had a pic done together.

Fuck them artists you see at gigs now who are tooo cool to still be a fan. That sh1t is just gay. We got nothing but love for Monch and showed it in the mosh pit even to the cost of Mud's shirt which he never saw again and Mayor's previously pristine Air Max 1's. The gig was rowdy and classic.

The sickness is coming...

Latest advert for Big Smoke Magazine out this June.
The graphics were done by our good man RMER.

Caernarfon Gig,

Fozzy, Mr. Phormula and Ruff the morning after the gig outside Phorm's studio which is literally in the middle of the sticks. Our North Walean brethren showed us a sick night on the vodka, ghost stories and a dope late night jam. Can't wait to go back. Much love to Dull, and Nine Tonne as well. We need to link soon for sure.

Listen&Learn Video Shoot Cypher

Ruff, David J, Mic Assassin & Fozzy tearing it on the west bank of the Thames. Was a sick sick day and a wicked shoot. The full music video featuring a bunch of cameos from some of Ruff's extended friends and fam is coming soon...

Fozzy In Brixton

Fozzy and DJ 2Tall get busy on the decks and beatbox for kids at the Raw Materials centre in Brixton.

Ralph and Mayor on a late night grind in A.M.H.Q. and P's girl bares all.

The friendly face of fun...

Working late + Fozzy going photo crazy = 1 x Pissed off Mayor

Associated Minds hits Brighton

The man like Stig and Dr Syntax, along with the other Beer & Rap Brighton heads welcomed Higher Learning (Cardiff's premier hip-hop night) to the Ocean Rooms in a very rainy Brighton last week. Big ups to those who braved the elements to get down there. Stig and Syntax put on a belter as always, and AM was represented by the infamous accapella set from Ruffstylz and Beatbox Fozzy. There was even a guest appearance from the straight-from work in Swansea, smart-casual attired Ralph Rip Shit on the open mic also. Shame about the sound system but a good night was had by all, and a fat munch was had by me in the all night caff down the road after the show..!

Here's some pics from the night...














^^^Stig Dastardly in the cypher with Ralph & Big Dave.


















^^^AM doing the tourist ting on Brighton pier (l-r) Ralph Rip Shit, Beatbox Fozzy, Sam Rockwell and Ruffstylz .


















^^^Stiggie Smalls is the illest!
















^^^Brighton pier again (l-r) Rockwell, Fozzy & Ruffstylz.


















^^^...and finally, here's the Mayor's mutt next to her latest blam.

Fozzy rocking a crowd of 25K at Donnington!

^^^See the man himself along with freestyle supremo Ruffstylz in Buffalo, Cardiff on 9th May.

Yes people...it's been a while coming but here's the latest instalment of the AM blog. It's a mixed bag of pics featuring the AM famalam and friends.

^^^Associated Minds hits Brighton on May 10th, with Stig & Syntax and Fozzy & Ruffstylz...plus some extra special guests.


















^^^DJ Paul B's mixtape's out now ft. exclusive AM tracks, along with a selection of only the finest hip-hop. Follow the link above to get it on the AM website.
















^^^Back in the day pic with Ralph, Humurak & Mudmowth.














^^^Beatbox Fozzy and fellow mouth music maestro (!) Wandan.


















^^^Rockwell doin' what Rockwell does best - drinkin' cheap cans of Spar lager out of posh beer glasses.














^^^LL Cool Willo.














^^^Mudmowth & Fozzy chill the fuck out after rockin' another heavy show.














^^^Dunno what's playin' in those headphones, but Blaktrix is fuckin' lovin' it..!














^^^Slug from Atmosphere rockin' his favourite tee.














^^^Foreign Beggars, Dubbledge and Ruffstylz in the cypher.


















^^^Benn Grymm and Barnie Rumble in the lab.














^^^The mighty Metabeats cookin' up some marvelous shit in the lab.














^^^Ruffstylz and Willo Wispa hard at work in the AMfamalab.


















^^^Oh yeah, and did I mention Associated Minds hits Brighton on May 10th, with Stig & Syntax and Fozzy & Ruffstylz...plus some extra special guests.

P getting his blues guitar on during his stay in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fuck new rave. We're gonna bring some new rock meets hip-hop shit that heads won't be ready for.

The first Ireland Tour.

Look we're busy busy right now concentrating on the music and that's why it's taken us about 5 months to get these few pics from the January gigs to get up on here. We'll say it loud, we're slack and we're proud.

Up close and personal with one of Britains best spitters.


The Legendary 2 Johns of Kerrynini fame. Rocking the roof off in Tralee.

Paul B racking up two fine cuppas in the best hotel we've been graced with to date while on tour. The George Boutique Hotel, Limerick get's love.

































^^^ Ralph + megaphone + Cork University = Scared students.

































A.M. We droppin heavy shit like we blockin up bogs!

Happy New Year from the AMfamalam all of youse..! Here's some of the promo pics taken for Ralph's 12", and also the cover.

^^^The cover of the first AM 12" released on wax, 'The Best Name' by Ralph Rip Shit. Made up of friends, famalam, associates, randoms etc..?!?













^^^Ralph cold chillin' in the fridge.






























^^^More promo shots.



















^^^The original studio shot that was used for the 'Best Name' cut-out Ralph as seen on the 12" cover and press shots.

Stay tuned for more updates coming soon...

Supporting Kool Keith and Radio 1 live session. (You can find links to the vids of the session at the AM Myspace link>>>)

^^^The AM live assault team at the Beeb. (L-R: standing - Mudmowth, Paul B; sitting - Ralph Rip Shit, Beatbox Fozzy).


















^^^Fozzy in the studio.













^^^Mudmowth at one with the BBC mics..!













^^^Fozzy again pre-show, with Beth doing her thing in the other studio.














^^^Ralph pre-show, just before demanding a giant bowl of M&M's with all the brown one's removed..!














^^^Ralph & Mud lettin' rip on the live Radio 1 sesh...














^^^Ralph Performing 'Pump This' supporting Kool Keith.














^^^Kool Keith - shortly after picking up a xmas bargain in Argos.

The AMfamalam only gone and done did made a blog..!

Greetings one and all and welcome to the Associated Minds blog..! At AM HQ we decided we should get with the times and blog off, so here it is..! We'll make sure to update it regularly and over the next year will give you the opportunity to see, via the medium of photos, what life is like for an Associated Mindian(!?). We'll also chuck up any useful/useless info we think may be of interest to you discerning hip-hop heads..!

Anyhows, to start us off here is the official 2006 AMfamalam Christmas card, and a big festive BRRRRAAAAPPPPPP goes out each and every one of youse.

Pz



Here's a few archive pic's also as a chrimbo bonus..!


















^^^The Associated Minds studio, where all the magic happens..! Ill graf courtesy of the man like Rmer.












^^^Associated Minds don't grow on trees you know..! Oh wait...maybe they do.


















^^^Beatbox Fozzy doing what he does best, and tearin' up a venue.














^^^Ralph Rip Shit, P.L.O. & The Mayor performing @ the 'Best Name' 12" launch party.