Starting February off with Bangs.

We are getting busy around here at Sweatshop Labor, which is less like an office and more like third world country. Anyway, we will be spinning at the Diesel Store on 60th St. and Lexington Av. on Friday and then again on Saturday at the Diesel Store by Union Sq. Come out and shop until you drop or just drink beers we sneak in. i am going to attempt to record the sets for download this week.

Besides the Diesel gigs, we have Common Folk as usual this Thursday. In the spirit of celebrating Lucas' new MacBook he crafted this hilarious flayer composed of pictures taken on Ichat of all parties involved, including our guest DJ and good friend Lauren Flax. She is the flying squirrel looking thing at the top middle. As always we have free booze, tunes, laughs, hugs and maybe more. Come out and play, it is a pay week and you have shit to do but bitch about how cold it is.



Friday we get classy in Willaimsburg. Expect to hear, Elvis, The Stray Cats, Old Blue Eyes, and maybe even a little BB King mixed into some dance sets. Have your ascots, wingtips, ties, vests and fedoras clean and ready to go.

Macri Park has been totally remodeled, if you recall the parties we use to throw there. The place is classy and sassy as all hell. Crush velvet walls, hard wood floors and decked out seating booths. Men act gentlemanly ladies act however the hell you want except snobbish and prude.



PS: I have been practicing all week to say "round here" like T.I. does in this song. Give it a shot it makes you feel tough, even if the "hood you rep, round here" is a Midwest suburb.



- Johnsville

I Love Live Sports.

I can not stop watching this video. There is just something so terrifying about a 7ft tall 300-and-something pound Shaq dropping an F-bomb in front millions of viewers. I wish that every time I needed to say "fuck" with passion, I could hire Shaq to tower over my shoulder deliver the verbal blow. I feel like it comes with a gust of Shaq wind. Unfortunately, I could not afford to do that.

- Johnsville

In Disco D's Corner, For Life.

Mr. Johnson is somewhat of a man in the shadows. For someone who is heavily involved in music he is hardly interested in the star light. Mr. Johnson for the past three years has worked very closely with Disco D and Benny Blanco through his music production and marketing company Pilot Creative. James Johnson started Pilot Creative "as a medium for artists to have true representation." He signed Disco D and Benny Blanco to Pilot as well as drummer and music consultant Guy Licata. My sense is that, James was crafting more of a musical family than a label. He has had a strong brotherhood relationship with his musical partners as well as a business one. Since David "Disco D" Shayman death last January James has continued working with Benny to a great success.

Ohh, did I not mention that dude can rap?!

Mr. Johnson recently made a track called My Dedication with an exclusive Disco D beat unheard until now. (Ctrl + Click to Download)

Mr. Johnson - My Dedication (Produced by Disco D)

Also here is a fun little audio for all you DJ's and wanna be DJ's alike. Mr. Johnson has a alternate verse on a Bangers and Cash track Get Loose. Download it and mix it into the original and watch girls go wild. (Ctrl + Click to Download)

Mr. Johnson - Get Loose (alternate verse)

- Johnsville

Common Folk W/ Benny Blanco in Memory of Disco D.

If you have never heard of Benny Blanco you should start listening or get punched in the teeth. Benny is 1/2 of the group Bangers and Cash. The other half being Spank Rock. Today, they are part of a small few saving hip-hop from a total blinged-out finger-snapping 80 bpm death. Bangers and Cash is such a gift from hip-hop’s past that I am almost afraid of listening it, fearing my mom might creep up and confiscate the record like she did my 2 Live Crew As Clean as I Wanna Be album in 1990. (I will never forgive you mom.)

Bangers and Cash is a nostalgic ear-gasm that sets my mind back to my Bronx youth during the 90's. When house parties were nothing short of a dream for a pre-teen and when dancing was grinding my 4in erection on girls asses to the sounds of Digital underground. When I could get drunk from 3 Miller High Life's then puke my soul clean (which to this day I still cannot drink). It reminds me of being a snot nose kid walking around writing graffiti and reciting all the lyrics to Tupac's - I Get Around, occasionally turning my head to check the ass on a girl passing by me.

I don't have enough dope shit to say about Benny Blanco. I met the jew-fro- ninja turtle shirt-wearing turntable monster about 2 months ago at the Palms Out Party Sweatshop Labor helped put together at Hugs. I would elaborate more about that party but chances are you were there...

and if you were not..Here is some footage from it.



The place was so packed with sweaty kids that in the aftermath we found a Heineken bottle under a sub and a few girls with broken dreams. Spank Rock and Benny made the content of Jack Daniels bottle vanish in what appeared to be thin weed filled air. Since our first meeting I‘ve stayed in contact with Benny and his management about future gigs and projects. It was great working with such talented and interesting people. I am happy to announce that Benny will be doing more events at Hugs in the future now that the sound is pimped.

Benny is our Guest DJ at This weeks very special Common Folk (131 Chrystie ST and Delancey NYC.) The party will be something like the last party and like this...

Bangers and Cash - Loose



and like this...

Bangers and Cash - B.O.O.T.A.Y.



This weeks Common Folk is very special. We here at Sweatshop Labor are VERY honored and privileged to be hosting Benny Blanco in loving memory, respect, and admiration for the late and great Disco D who passed on one year ago today. While we did not know Disco D personally we acknowledge his life and achievements. We have great respect for the many talented performers that have grown or been inspired by David's vision. Especially his protégé Benny Blanco. Thank You David, you are missed and loved by many.



50 Cent - Ski Mask Way Produced By Disco D



Hustle Harder XXL Trailer - Disco D beat Making



Come out Thursday Jan 23 2008, and party hard with Benny and us for Disco D!!!

Home Sweet Home. 131 Chrystie St NYC. 21 and up with ID. Free Shango Rum 10:30pm - 11:30pm

More about...

Benny Blanco
Bangers and Cash
Disco D

- Johnsville

Sweatshop L.A.bor

I thought we were prepared going in. Lucas is from the Bay area, I had lived in LA for over a year and John once killed a man with a knife. None of that helped. We organized what may have been the least-organized mini-tour / trip any of us have been involved in. I arrived a few days earlier and had a ride waiting, a ride i would later force into picking up the Lucas and John. It started off great - free wine, cable, and a pull-out bed reminiscent of the one I sleep on every night in NY. This was not to last! Once we had Lucas and John in tow, I was informed that this was too great a strain on her family and I was set loose from my den of comfort. What followed was a mad dash every night around 1:30 A.M. to find someone to stay with. The results were awful - sleeping on floors, sleeping with terrible human beings and existing without much food. Luckily there was plenty of alcohol to help us cope.

Another point we neglected to deal with was the fact that LA is so spread out. Our first gig was over an hour away at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa. I had to pull some 3-year-old strings and get a friend I hadn't even spoken with in those three years to pick me up and drive me out there. Lucas and John had to get the resident DJ, Dan Sena, to leave his own party and pick them up. These troubles continued on, as none of us were really capable of driving anything more complicated than a tricycle, hence no rental car. I don't think John has ever driven a car. And we were all drunk too boot. No more DUIs!

Beyond the problems of the big, spread-out suburb that is LA, we had a ton of fun at the parties we attended. Dim Mak tuesday at Cinespace was spectacular - we met Dan Oh who proceeded to show John and I an incredible time. Coincidentally, we ran into Bronques from Lastnightsparty.com, normally a NY photographer who apparently lives in LA now. I haven't seen him here in months so I can assume as much. It was also the return of Steve Aoki, who, having never heard him play before, lives up to his fairly vast reputation.

The Heist was toned down, from what I understand, as there was a stabbing and several shootings the week before we played, so there were tons of restrictions placed upon the promoter, Mark "Rat-tail" Rodriquez, resulting in a lesser following quite smaller than the hundreds of screaming girls who normally show up to party. We found a way to make it work - tequila shots. The night was incredible as we went back to Rat-tail's house and drank more and told the best 9/11 jokes we could think of. He was mostly appalled.

The rest of the week was pretty much a blur of drunkenness, screaming and dancing. The parties were great (despite PYT as I was stranded in Koreatown without a ride and missed out so no comment on that from me). We spent a lot of time with Dan Oh, who may be the most incredible man I've met in a long time. Runner-up was Wendy City - great girl and we were really bummed that the venue her party (that we were set to do) closed at the last minute.

The next time we get out there we will do it right. A big thanks to all the people who let us crash on their floors and who drove our drunk asses around. We are glad to be back in NY where we can get hammered and crawl out onto the curb and scream until a taxi takes us home.

We have some new things in the works since our trip, so keep an eye out on the blog in the upcoming weeks. I hope we can get some LA peoples to fly east and learn them some things about drinking hard.

- Cory Spencer

Common Folk With (the one and only) JD Samson!!!

Sweatshop Labor NYC would like to wish everyone a safe, happy, and productive 2000-and-great. For all those who came out and partied with us the past year, we love you and hope you continue partying with us in the future. To the friends we have made though networking in 2007 we are more than friends we are fans of your work. We have a good feeling about this year we started 2008 with hugs and smiles, write ups in Fader magazine, champaign popping with Kesh, Boy Boy and M.I.A and most importantly a LA trip come this week.

We are also bringing in the new year with one of my favorite musicians and personalities at Common Folk (Thurs Jan 3 131 Crystie St. NYC 10pm.) There is no reason to list JD Samson's professional successes, i get the feeling most people know who she is. She is more than a musician she is a progressive thinker. I met her about two weeks ago and she is a totally awesome person period. Come out tonight and start 2000-and great!!!










And Just for fun