Dante Ross

Dante Ross was born in the bay area in 1970. After his family relocated to NYC in 1972 Ross embarked on his life long love affair with the rotten apple. Amongst other things Ross is a Grammy award winning record producer (Santana Supernatural ) a songwriter for EMI music, a a+r person credited with signing ODB, Pete Rock and Cl Smooth, Brand Nubians, Everlast, and Busta Rhymes, a brand consultant, a published writer, a street culture ambassador. Mr. Ross is currently the Vice President of SRC (Steve Rifkind Company) and creative director at Loud.com Steve Rifkinds newest venture.

Website — http://www.danteross.com

Latest Posts

STREETS OF NEW YORK PT 11

October 28th 08, 10:23

Ran the streets of the city the last few saw some cool music,ran into friends and had a few hangovers…..Good energy in the streets these days but enough of me the streets are telling the story. For the complete rundown including 2 Live Crew and He Said She Said video’s, more art and people pics and the smell of the rotten apple tune in at:

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DAVE ORTIZ FOR FUNKY PRESIDENT

October 24th 08, 11:16

Forget Obama this guy got my vote!

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DOLEMITE REST IN POWER

October 20th 08, 8:23

The great Rudy Ray Moore aka Dolemite aka The king of party records aka The Human Tornado aka Petey Wheatstraw the Devils son in-law passed away at age 81 last night. Rudy Ray Moore was one of the original potty mouthed comedians along with Redd Foxx, Luwanda Page, Leroy and SKillet and Wild Man Steve. These guys pioneered black comedy and set the table for people like Richard Pryor and later on Eddie Murphy not to mention the legions of post Def Jam comedians.In the mid 90’s Rudy Ray’s career was revitalized by people such as Snoop Dogg who brought Dolemite’s vibe to the mainstream and incorporated Rudy Ray’s pimp persona into his own. I dug it when I saw him in Snoops Doggy Dog world video. It made me dig Snoop even more no pun intended.

I remember seeing the Human Tornado at the Jefferson theatre on 14th street with my crew of young derelicts. We had just discovered weed and smoking a skinny double papered big bambu joint with my crew in the balcony of the theater was my intro to Rudy Ray Moores comedy. Weed was a new thing for us and Rudy helped us usher in the experience. You could say I was totally captivated by his low budget faux Kung Fu flick and was made a fan for life of weed and Dolemite at the tender age of 12 or so. I once in a DC record store at least 10 years later found original copies of many of his record titled things like ” Eat out more often”, “The Devils son in law”, and the Human Tornado. Those gems are still in the collection and the covers are as unforgettable as the material. I always loved his ode to Hurricane Annie with her big old fanny amongst many other dirty little ditty’s he had up his sleeve.

Thanks for the laughs. Rudy Ray Moore you helped shape my irreverent sense of humor, you really trolled in the under ground of black culture and your contributions to hip-hop culture timeless REST IN POWER RUDY RAY MOORE AKA DOLEMITE!

This video trailer is classic Rudy Ray Moore:
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DOZE GREEN:N.O.O.N

October 17th 08, 19:44

Doze is a old friend, an amazingly gifted painter and some one who has contributed to the culture on so many levels. Whether Bboying, inventing the standard graffiti character that all others are measured against or by transcending the Graf movement Doze Green has always been an original. This show is no exception, it is in my humble opinion the best work I have ever seen him do. My pics can’t do it justice go see it yourself at Johnathon Levine gallery 529 w 20th st it’s hanging for the next few weeks. The show is breathtaking I highly recommend it.

This piece is huge and amazing…..every time I looked at it I saw something new and amazing!

This series is a departure of sorts for Doze as he has incorporated a layering process in his recent work….using various images underneath the paintings themselves seemingly…..Very intricate stuff

I dig these the color pallet is a departure as well for Doze…I like how he challenged himself with this show….

These smaller pieces are also something new for Doze… The looseness and spontaneity of these pieces are brilliant to me

This is my favorite piece in the whole show. Maybe it’s because he put up the letters of one of the greatest Graf crews ever RTW in the piece. For those don’t know Haze,Revolt,Zephyr and Futura were some of the crews charter members. A young Doze was also a member as was I later on though I didn’t get to write with the prime movers in the crew when they were at they’re peak it is something that has still has meaning to me. Those were the guys I looked up to when I was a kid. Doze told me this was for Bilrock and Min 2 of the crews wildest and original members

I love these minimal works they’re another new style for him….they remind me of his version of Matisse somehow

This piece is beautiful to me

Truly an triumphant show for Jeffery ” Doze” Green my friend for more than 20 years. He has evolved into one of the most serious painters to emerge from the graf and post graf movements transcending the boundaries put on artist’s of his ilk. His style is constantly evolving and seeing him challenge himself with his work in this show was a beautiful thing. This is him and David Ellis a equally important artist and a frequent collaborator of Doze’s. If your not hip to David’s work reference my blog he is amazing and unique. These 2 guys are going to be in art history books some day I believe/hope. Go see the show and here’s the parting shot:

For more pics check out my site:http://www.danteross.com/blogs/dante/2008/10/17/doze-greennoon/

Enjoy

D Ross NYC
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STREETS OF NEW YORK 10

October 8th 08, 12:54

Been a long time since I did one of these. The task is daunting but the end result always worth it….Finally laid my head in NY long enough to put one of these together…..More to come birthday jawnts this weekend…..holy hangovers….Here’s some shit that makes New York great

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CRAOLA@ JOSHUA LINER GALLERY

October 7th 08, 9:49

Great show at Joshua Liner gallery. Craola aka Greg Simpkins is one of my favorites these days totally trippy stuff,great renderings and a lot of skill involved in these paintings. Glad I saw this one before it was done hanging. Really good stuff my pics cant do it justice.

For More Craola check my site out:

http://www.danteross.com/blogs/dante/2008/10/07/craolajoshua-liner-gallery/
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CAMILLE ROSE GARCIA:Ambien Somnambulants

October 5th 08, 23:38

Pretty nice show, I waited to the last day it was hanging to see it. Glad I did and I had the gallery to myself for once. Another good show at Johnathon Levine looked like it was sold out. Good stuff now lets have the art speak for itself: For more of it check out my site:

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LIL HIPSTERS:MORRISSEY FANS

October 4th 08, 13:07

Been digging Kid America and the crew forever been meaning to start posting these joints. Lil Hipsters is hilarious. I love the social commentary angle to it and how their immediate circle of people is often directly ridiculed. Also love the fact their politically incorrect, offensive and love to push buttons.

I also loathe Morrissisy. I’m a Cure fan myself……

Weigh in curious what yall think? I’m gonna post a few more of these in the upcoming weeks.

Enjoy

D Ross
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BOOGIE: CRO-MAGS NYHC BK

October 3rd 08, 18:40

Boogie sent me these the other day. I was supposed to come with but I pulled a no show. I’m bummed pics don’t smell or sweat ya know? Peep Boogies shots and let me shut up. Back on my blog game Streets of New York soon come…..

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DEFINITION:BILL ADLER AND CEY ADAMS BOOK RELEASE

October 3rd 08, 11:19

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DENNIS McNETT:THE OLD HORNED DEITY@THE STANTON CHAPTER

September 29th 08, 9:27

Steve Rodriguez the owner of 5 boro and a all around nice dude put together with his wife Hiroko a great show with Dennis Mcnett. Dennis did the Anti Hero logo and a ton of artwork for those cats over the years as well as stuff for Vans and a bunch of other people.

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FRANK MATTHEWS: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!

September 24th 08, 7:48

I’ve been a student of New York street folk lore as long as I could read way before Feds and Don Diva hit the stands. Whether it was Mafia talk or hood history it’s always intrigued me and my friends. Frank Matthews was nick named Black Caesar as he was the Black Godfather of sorts. Here’s the Craziest thing, he got away. Yep with a reported 15 million bucks never to be seen again. Sadat X put me up on Frank Matthews aways back when we were on some Brand Nubian tour driving to DC and Marc Levin the documentary film maker recently told me a bunch about him as well. He’s the ghetto D.B Cooper to me recognize. Here’s some history about Mr. Matthews: Read it his whole program was bonkers.

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DQM 5TH ANNIVERSARY TONITE

September 20th 08, 13:36

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ALCHEMIST DECLARES CHEMICAL WARFARE

September 18th 08, 10:38

Alchemist first single from his forthcoming record Chemical Warfare. This is that grimy dark shit I need to fill my rap void for the next few. I love hipster rap but nothing gets me happier than dark,grimy,drive by music…..Thanks AL sometimes I just need to hear blue collar murder rap sometimes cause rap music got a little too pretty and dancey these days…..Stuff like this makes me believe in rap music again…..

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NYTIMES CHIMES IN ON HIPSTER RAP!

September 17th 08, 18:48

This will be the first of many,many articles examining the impending changing of the guard rap’s about to go through. I was there when De La and the Native Tongues which I was a part of flipped the script dam near 20 years ago and I’m in the middle of a gang of this stuff via 10Deep and my day gig doing A+R at SRC. I feel like wise big homie to this movement and this article just missed the plot to me. A side question does anybody feel the Knux? This is an example of a good writer writing a bad article here go read it and you judge for yourself.

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