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Going Nuts for Latin beats

Who: The Beatnuts Where: Garfinkel’s When: Monday, July 28 Queens in New York is one of the bastion neighbourhoods behind the development of modern hip-hop.

Who: The Beatnuts

Where: Garfinkel’s

When: Monday, July 28

Queens in New York is one of the bastion neighbourhoods behind the development of modern hip-hop. Many of the greatest rap artists of our time exploded from this borough, including Run DMC, L.L. Cool J and Salt n Pepa. Add to that family, The Beatnuts, who over the past 20 years helped put Latin beats and rhymes on the world map.

The duo of Ju Ju and Psycho Les, who debuted in 1993 with the hit album, Intoxicated Demons , descend from Dominican and Colombian backgrounds. Since breaking new ground in the now burgeoning world of hip hop, the Beatnuts have been involved with everyone from Method Man to Madonna. They are even involved in a legal stoush with Jennifer Lopez’s "people" about the non-approved sampling of the Beatnuts track Off The Books in J-Lo’s I’m Real single.

And while the publicity could be deemed as unsavoury, the Beatnuts can afford the beef about any unsolicited use because they actually have a very impressive resume without any help from a mainstream diva like Jenny. Besides their four albums and two EPs, the Beatnuts do extensive production work for many respected artists including the Jungle Brothers, Naughty By Nature, De La Soul, the Wu Tang Clan and yes, even Madonna (by tweaking the knobs on her latest single, Hollywood).

Put aside the big names they work and play with, the Beatnuts have had their fair share of news time over the years. Like when the third member of their group, Kool Fashion, was arrested and jailed for six months on a drug conviction, before becoming a Muslim and leaving the band.

Their latest album, Take It or Squeeze It, issued in spring 2001, captured the Beatnuts danceable funk. Showing they are more than a bunch of street hangers spouting about smoking pot, getting girls and dissing the law.

Do not miss the hip hop event of the summer with Bless, Mat the Alien and DJR3 also performing on the night. If you remember when Rahzel and Mix Master Mike were here tickets sold insanely fast, so don’t be a statistic second time around. See Garf’s or Daisy Internet now. Tickets just $20 for the Monday night show.