The Chelsea Art Museum will be presenting Summer Soiree Series II: Rapalicious! An International Rap Party.  The film will be featuring Pretty Boy Family from Trinidad and Tobago, Polo from Italy’s La Famiglia and 77′Klash from Jamaica.  The international rap party sounds ill and goes down on 07.31.08 from 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM.  More info available on the web here, full details on the films inside…

Polo from La Famiglia

Formally trained in classic studies Alberto “Polo” Cretara cut his creative teeth as an aerosol artist in Italy during the late 1980’s. Polo is an accomplished music video director/film maker, poet and songwriter. As a songwriter and performer Alberto has collaborated with a wide variety of recording artists including Neffa, Enzo Gragnaniello, C-Rayz Walz, and DJ Nickodemus. As a director Alberto has created music videos for artists such as Dj Jad of Articolo 31, Enzo Gragnaniello and jazz sensation Chiara Chivello. He is currently in the final stages of production of “Napolizm”, his documentary exploring the Hip Hop scene in his home town Naples, Italy. He has spent the majority of his professional life balancing and integrating his career as a visual artist with his successful Hip Hop project La Famiglia. LA FAMIGLIA (established 1993) is comprised of MCs Polo (Alberto Cretara), Sha-one (Paolo Romano), and DJ Simi (Simone Cavagnuolo). They are considered one of the most influential groups in the growth of the Italian Hip Hop scene which includes not only, music but aerosol art/graffiti and breakdancing.

77′Klash

Responsible for one of the wickedest riddims in years, the unique, drum and bass-tinged Skallawa (check Turbulance’s “Notorious” for proof) 77klash has a knack for crafting tunes that run di place pretty much everywhere. “Notorious” was huge in Jamaica, went number one in the UK, and was also a favorite of Radiohead, who kicked off shows with the track on their last tour. And “Brooklyn Anthem” (which lives up to its name) had as much success on dancefloors in the UK as it did over here. The Brooklyn-based Jamaican-born Mikkel “Gize” Burrowes brings together more than just JA and the U.S.A. His tracks mash up dancehall and hip-hop, but there’s also a bit of grime and a very rock’n'roll element. “Code for the Streets” is emblematic of this mixture and what sounds like a touch of the Clash is just right.

Pretty Boy Family

Pretty Boy Family is one of the best up and coming rap groups out of Brooklyn, New York. The three band members are first cousins and because of their flashy dress code born out of a childhood in Trinidad and Tobago they got the name Pretty Boy Family. They moved to Brooklyn at a young age and grew up on hiphop, reggae and soca music from artists such a Biggie, Tupac, Bob Marley, Junior Reed and Wu Tang Clan. Most of P.B.F’s music is of stories from the streets of Brooklyn. For the past four years P.B.F have been perfecting their craft recording and performing at various showcases around New York. In 2007 they decided not to wait for a big label to sign so with the help of producers, the album THE COMMISSION was made. This album was haled as an underground classic.