Hip hop fans better get familiar with New York based Theophilus London, especially if you have ACL tickets. His video for his new single "Last Name London" not only teaches you how to pronounce his name but also bumps. London is another M.C. to ride this sort of hipster-hop wave that mixes electronic dance music with an old school flare. His debut album, Timez Are Weird These Days, comes out July 19. He will perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live that same night. It seems Theophilus London is going to have a big year.
San Francisco based rapper K. Fly released her new music video for her single "Doctor Don't Know" last week on YouTube. This artist has grown on me. I've picked up her free mixtapes off of her website and have really enjoyed them on my ride to work in the mornings. She's like Missy only white and sort of hipster.
I'm no fan of Kobe by any means, but props to him for being the best player in the game and his own empire. Can't knock the hustle for real. Recently I saw Bryant in this Chinese hip hop video that's been circulating around the blogs and "Facey Spaces".
Many of you younglings out there may not know this, but Kobe is no stranger to music videos. I remember him rapping (yes, you read that correctly) in a Brian McKnight video back in the '90s. I posted both videos for you to check out.
I had an AZ CD back in middle school and I thought he was going to really blow up. He came up in that golden '90s era of hip hop that I so miss. I rarely hear hip hop that I like anymore so that is why I get excited when I come across things online like this.If you like what you hear in this video, pick up his 1996 classic album, Doe Or Die.Will someone please bring AZ to Austin? I'm looking at you Transmission Entertainment and Knuckle Rumbler.
I was watching some early Entourage episodes tonight and then came across this video someone emailed me. I was glad to see it. I've had a download of Saigon's album for a while but haven't really heard much about him since. He is still one of the few rapper's out there who I think can lead us out of this new movement of ringtone rap and back into an era of lyrical, content driven hip hop. I also think most rap is soft now too, so it's nice to hear something intelligent with a rough edge. Check the video...he's rapping about some real tough subjects.
Hip hop is supposed to be urban poetry put to music. When I was growing up hip hop was hungry, raw and had something real to say. Somewhere along the line it lost its edge. Changing styles, trends coming and going, the internet, ringtone sales, etc have all changed the game. I hate to admit it, but I stopped listening to most hip hop that came out after the year 2000.
One thing I noticed is how the West Coast presence diminished in main stream radio hip hop and magazines. The only West Coast artists getting love were the mega stars like Snoop, Cypress Hill, The Game and a few select others. It is not a long list.
Well the other day I was checking out my reader and scanning through the various music blogs and websites I follow when I came across a music video from West Coast rapper, Jay Rock. The music video is for his single "Diary Of A Broke Nigga" which also featuresKendrick Lamar and Giddy. I just wanted to share it with you all because it is one of the few hip hop songs I've been excited about this year.
The video was directed by AplusFilmz. Watch their videos if you get a chance. These dudes should be winning some awards.
Talib is one of my favorite MCs. I don't talk about too much hip hop these days, but Kweli is always worth talking about and checking out live in concert. Tonight he will be at The Scoot Inn over on the Eastside. I hope he does his old Black Star verses. It is one of my all time favorite albums, any genre. Check out Kweli with Mos Def from back in the day.
I follow Cypress Hill's B-Real on twitter, which is where I saw this music video by Ahmad Ali Lewis. As I do with all of B-Real's tweets, I check the links to see what he's posting or talking about. He posted this music video so I gave it a look and listen. I'm so glad I did.
Besides being one of the best hip hop songs I've heard lately, I learned Ahmad Ali Lewis is the same Ahmad that created one of my favorite hip hop songs of all time back int he '90s, "Back In The Day." Ahmad sounds way different now, but that's to be understood as the dude is older now. He's still lyrically on point and a great story teller. That's the kind of hip hop I always loved, not this bullshit you hear today. I'm now eagerly awaiting for Ahmad's album which drops in August according to his twitter. If he puts it out on vinyl, I'll trip.
To celebrate their tenth anniversary, one of my favorite hip hop groups, Dead Prez, is giving away their newest mixtape away for free on their website. Titled Revolutionary Gangsta Grillz, the duo spit fire over some popular Drake beats. I'm enjoying it already and real hip hop fans will too. Check out this cool teaser video I saw on YouTube. "All the bullshit hop hop they sellin' is going to start a rebellion in the real world".
I get sent the weirdest stuff on a daily basis. Although most days I find it annoying, sometimes weird or odd does catch my attention. Here is another example of that. Rapper Kosha Dillz, whose name I assume is a play on him being Jewish and from New Jersey. I like how "Kosher" is spelled and pronounced like "Kosha". I also like pickles.
Anyway, he sent this video to me and it is the title that caught my attention at first. It's titled "Doo Doo" but has nothing really to do with poo, thank goodness. It is off his current album, Beverly Dillz. Clever. Check out the video, directed by Robbie Barclay:
Chilean MC and Nacional Records artist, Ana Tijoux, is the best thing to happen to hip hop since Cypress Hill. On the eve of her U. S. debut album dropping on Tuesday, 1977, I sat down with Tijoux to talk about who she is. Of course we chatted about the album, but I wanted to know why a Chilean MC gets it right when so many American rappers don't, still thinking auto tune effects and Lil Wayne remixes make good songs or albums. Tijoux is classic, 90s style, in every since of the word. Learn more about the M.C. who may have made my favorite hip hop album this year. I can tell you it will be between her 1977 album and Cypress Hill's new one, Rise Up.
Houston Hip Hop fans will have one of their favorite MCs take the stage tonight at Ace's Lounge. Making another Austin appearance will be Rap-A-Lot artist, Z-Ro. Having received lots airplay on local hip hop station, Hot. 93.3, Z-Ro is without a doubt a local favorite. It wasn't until last year that I saw the extent of his popularity.
Last year I was the Austin Music Hall for a Hot 93.3 show that featured Southern Rap Legend Bun B, headliner David Banner and Z-Ro. I saw people rapping along the words to all his songs, but I expected that because of the radio popularity I mentioned a moment ago. People weren't going any crazier for Z-Ro than they were for Bun B or the previous local performers. I took a couple of pictures and recorded some low quality video from my point and shoot camera just for fun. I posted them to YouTube shortly after the show. I did so for the David Banner videos and for the Bun B videos. Second only to some Cool Kids videos from Stubb's, my Z-Ro videos have the most views on my YouTube page.
Now I recorded some pretty big names last year with my point and shoot the same way, but Z-Ro was the one who took off? I was surprised by that. My videos weren't even good quality. That said something right there. He may be the underground scene's crown holder. For a while there on Myspace, I was seeing a lot of profile songs that were from Z-Ro. If nothing else, he was kicking ass on Myspace.
Since then I have been intrigued by this dude Z-Ro. I downloaded his recent album at the time, Crack. I combed my iTunes for any tracks with Z-Ro and a bunch of Houston artists came up that featured Z-Ro. These were all big names like Paul Wall, Bun B and Lil' Flip to name a few. He has a real distinguishable voice and flow. You can tell he's a big dude and definitely Texan with that heavy accent that even comes through when rapping. If he does write his own rhymes, and I admit I don't know, then he has some talent there for sure.
Earlier this year I went to hit up Piranha Records in Round Rock, a great local source for anything Houston Hip Hop or Southern Underground, and picked up some Mix Tapes (actually CDs) that featured Z-Ro. His stuff on those Mix Tapes were better than some of his radio hits, although too short in length to be songs most of the time. I prefer full length songs, but that's just me. If you are new to Z-Ro, then start with his album I'm Still Livin'. Surf the net a bit and you'll see there's an interesting story about that album. I'll post some links as always at the end of the post that can give you more info.
Again, I'm semi-new to Z-Ro and don't listen to too much new hip hop these days. I'm more of what you call a "back packer" but there's something about the rawness and grime of Houston stuff that just does it for me. Anyway, I just wanted to post a little something about my Z-Ro experience and let you know he'll be at Ace's Lounge tonight. Hopefully, he will perform for you all my favorite Z-Ro track, "Top Notch". Check out the video and give it a listen here:
Ace's Lounge is located on 222 E. 6th Street. You'll see it there on the corner of 6th and San Jacinto. If you see Brazos St or The Driskell Hotel, you've gone too far. The show is at 8:00 and is hosted by Smackola from The Dirty Wormz. See the flyer for details or visit Ace's Lounge online at www.acesaustin.com.
I hate to admit this to the world, but I find most hip hop to be stale and cookie cutter these days. Everyone seems to be using the same producers and the art of story telling has gone the wayside. In the large field of copy cat rappers and whack MCs, only a few can catch and hold my attention. Last year I fell in love with the sounds of 88 Keys and The Cool Kids. This year I think Canadian MC, Shad K, is taking over. His new album, The Old Prince, helped me rediscover what I love so much about hip hop.
Houston Hip Hop artist, Slim Thug, will be at Piranha Records Round Rock before getting down with Paul Wall at Spiro's this Saturday. I am not as big on hip hop these days as I once was, but I love pretty much everything coming out of Houston these days. Slim has a smooth flow, a distinguishable voice and good production on his songs.
As for Piranha Records, I have to give them props for really being big supporters of this sort of regional or underground genre of Hip Hop. All types of artists from Slim Thug to unsigned cats come through Piranha Records. It has been a staple in Round Rock for a few years now and I am happy they've sustained. One reason is their support for Underground hip hop and their Screw connections.
For those not familiar with Slim Thug, check out this video for his radio single, "I Run":
One of my favorite rappers, Rob G, is going to be in town this week with a fellow Houston rapper Trae Tha Truth. You can catch him in Round Rock or Austin, depending on your schedule and location. I can't wait to hear the album, "Both Sides of the Fence". I was wondering what Rob G was up to since I last heard from him.
On February 19, they will be at Piranha Records in Round Rock at 6:30.
On February 20, they will be at Music Mania at 5:00.
It must be unofficially "Real Hip Hop Week" here in Austin this week as this is the third hip hop show I caught in three days. What's nice about everything is that it hasn't been the over saturated radio stuff you hear on most hip hop stations these days. This week and this show was for the backpackers, old school lovers and edu-tainment genre lovers. The RZA is the super producer and MC for the greatest hip hop super group ever assembled, The Wu Tang Clan. He graced Austin with his presence Wednesday night at Emo's for his "RZA as Bobby Digital" tour. Bobby Digital, for those that don't know, is his alter ego.
RZA brought with him a crew of Wu Affiliates including the Black Knights, Solomon Childs and Stone Mecca. Truthfully, I had not heard of either of those artists but I knew I could expect decent music at the very least because RZA isn't going to let just anyone on his tour. He wouldn't damage his good name, reputation or credibility by bringing some whack rappers or singers. I mean this is the genius backbone of The Wu Tang Clan.
When I got to Emo's there was already a good amount of people in line and inside before me, but I still was able to get up front by the stage. As we all waited for the performers to get started, we listened to the sounds of Austin's own DJ Notion. He was alright, not terrible or anything. He had the crowd bobbing their heads, warming them up and doing his job. Nothing he played sucked and no one booed him, so he definitely knew the crowd he was catering to. Had he spun some D4L or Soulja Boy, he would have been booed at and harassed by this crowd. The RZA fans in attendance mostly consisted of hip hop purists that would eat you alive should you come with some "BS". After his set he gave away some cool posters he made for the RZA show. I didn't go get one in fear of losing my spot up front. Looking back, I wish I would have. After DJ Notion was done with his set, another DJ for the rest of the show set up along with a crew setting up band equipment for Stone Mecca later. After another good DJ set, Staten Island Wu Affiliate Solomon Childs came on stage, claiming to be fresh of the airplane. He didn't have much to work off of in terms of music he would have normally performed to. Childs had the DJ go off previous recordings he did and did some freestyles. I posted one of them on you tube for you to check out. I liked him personally. His was flow was grimey and raw, true to the Wu Tang brand and style. It was a real short set but enough to spark my curiousity as to who how was and what music he's done. Hopefully if you catch this tour in another city, you will get to check him out. I hope that he gets to do a longer set and most importantly, the set he wanted to do last night.
Following Solomon Childs was a West Coast Wu Affiliate called "Black Knights", or RZA's West Coast Killa Bees. Despite the Compton ski hat and Raiders jersey, you could definitely tell from their sound they were West Coast. I really can't explain that to those who aren't hip hop afficionados, but they just had that flow and swagger that screams "West West". Now its been too long since I saw any West Coast rappers (not including the Dilated Peoples show Monday night) I think the last one was maybe Snoop at the old Austin Music Hall. Now the Black Knights had beats that were darker than the West Coast G-funk style beats typically associated with West Coast sound. Again, staying true to the Wu sound and brand. They had good energy despite the humidity and heat and the crowd seemed to be feeling them. The most notable moment for me during the Black Knight's set was when one of them started rhyming acapella. Their set didn't seem that long either, but that was fine as the crowd was hot and were still a band away from the headliner.
Stone Mecca, the co-headliner for The RZA, was not a hip hop act. They were a soul band or R&B collective if you will. Being unfamiliar with Stone Mecca and a fan of this sort of music, I was looking forward to this set. Plus I was hoping that their music was chill enough to calm the crowd a little because it was starting to feel like a rock concert with all the pushing and shoving. After over 10 years of mosh pits and craziness, I was starting to feel my age in the front row. I'm not 18 anymore, that's for sure.
I also started to wonder why or how it was a soul act was going on right before RZA. It didn't make sense to me as Stone Mecca wouldn't have been my first choice to go on right before RZA. They were really good though. They had a good band that included key boards players, a bassist, a guitar player, drummer, bongos...the works. They also had three lovely ladies singing what I thought would be back up, but they all sing individually on certain tracks. The lead singer, Jevon McGlory, fronted most of the songs. I would describe Stone Mecca to people as a mix of Toni Tony Tone, Maxwell, and Klymaxx. What won me over was a song called "A Walk". It was song featured in RZA's cartoon, "Afro Samurai". They were the best surprise of the night for me.
Speaking of surprises, RZA just came out of no where when he took the stage. Stone Mecca didn't break down their instruments, which is why I was caught off guard. As it turns out, Stone Mecca was the house band for RZA. Logistically it all made sense to me at that point. All RZA had to do once Stone Mecca's set was done was to just come out and start rockin' the crowd. That RZA is so smart I tell you...must be all that Wuchess.
Once RZA got started, it was like rock concert crazy. He started with his own music, mostly off his solo records and new forthcoming album "Digi Snacks". The song I remember him performing off that album was "You Can't Stop Me Now". He had the crowd responding and singing along with him the whole time, even the dudes stage diving and making a mosh pit. You can tell he was really feeling the love from Austin as all night the crowd were throwing up the signature Wu Tang W's and chanting "WU TANG" for him. He even said himself that he loved their energy despite how crazy hot it was.
Things really started to get crazy and people excited when he took off his top shirt to expose his Wu undershirt. At that point he got into some older Wu Tang classics which the crowd loved, getting the loudest it had been all night. The last time I saw anything Wu related was in 1997 during the MTV Sports and Music Fest at Zilker Park. That was the largest crowd of that three day festival, partly because Method Man headlined during the height of the Wu Tang's popularity....or so I thought. After last night, it was clear we are still at the height of the Wu Tang Clan's popularity and it will never die. I swear at one point I saw in RZA's eyes at one point where he was going to get emotional. I can't say I blame him. It was a beautiful thing. Austin had nothing but love for him and his whole crew. Someone even brought their Wu Tang Manual with them. I left mine at home.
Hip Hop was once again alive and well in Austin, real hip hop that is. Hopefully these past three days will be a wake up call for more hip hop acts to come by Austin. Mos Def anyone?
I did it again ladies and gentleman. I won some tickets off M.E. Television's website. This time, it was two tickets to check out the Dilated Peoples tour, creatively titled "Fresh Rhymes And Videotape". All I knew about who was on the bill with them was hip hop super producer and MC, The Alchemist. Now this was not my first Dilated Peoples show(won't be my last either). I saw them at Stubbs indoor a couple years ago when they played with Little Brother. It was a good show then, but judging from the tour bus you see pictured here, it seemed that this tour was a little bigger. The venue was bigger this time around as well as the show was at Emo's (outside). I got there super early to make sure everything was cool and I was on the guest list. I had no trouble as M.E. took care of me.
Once inside it was empty and the only people there associated with the tour were the merch guys. To tell you how hot it was, I wasn't drinking anything but bottled water instead of my usual Lone Star. I picked up some free promo stickers at the merch table as I do enjoy some good schwag (not a weed reference by the way). Shortly there after, I heard someone take the mic and start calling people to the stage. "Cool" I thought as I was already tired of waiting. It had to be the heat as I am a pretty patient and chill dude.
The opening act was a rapper by the name of 88-Keys. I had never heard of him ppreviously. For all I knew he was local. Normally I would would have done my homework but I did not find out I was going to be at this concert until the day of. So, I was looking forward to being surprised. Truthfully, I wasn't really expecting much from an opening act. This dude surprised me though.I was just kind of listening at first, bobbing my head as the beats were good. He was backed by a beautiful lady DJ named Syncity who was part of his live act also. He told the story of his friend "Adam". Adam's story was worked into his whole set as he creatively changed costumes with almost each new song. Him and DJ Syncity were both fun, funny, energetic and cool. I look forward to hearing more from him and his new album he said was coming out. There is a song on there with Kanye West. Check out this clip from my you tube page. It's 88-Keys as Kanye:
L.A. rapper Aceyalone (pronounced like A-C-Alone) took the stage shortly after 88-Keys was done. Aceyalone performed with his tour DJ, Hines Buchanan. Now I had heard of Aceyalone before but never got the opportunity to see him live. What I had heard from various magazines, blogs and/or internet sites was that he somehow never got the recognition he deserved despite getting some good reviews. As he got started the crowd was a little bigger and I was already in a good mood from 88-Key's set. His rhymes were good and beats were dope, but the set was just alright for me. I can't put my finger on it. Now understand that "alright" doesn't mean awful, because he was far from awful. I was telling friend about the show and he emailed me an mp3 file of Aceyalone's CD called "A Book of Human Language". I was honestly blown away by how good that was. Maybe it was the Texas heat affecting him. No Pacific Ocean sea breeze here in Texas to cool you off. If he comes back around, I will definitely check him out again.
Following Aceyalone, I (and the whole front row) was expecting The Alchemist to come out next. However there were rumors going around the crowd somehow that he was not there. It seemed that way as DJ Babu, tour DJ for Dilated Peoples was setting up. People were starting to wonder. Then immediately after Evidence and Rakaa came out we all forgot or stopped caring for the moment. In typical Dilated People fashion, they came out with lots of energy and excitement.
I tell you what, Dilated Peoples never disappoint. I love it when bands or artists feel their own work and are passionate about it on stage versus treating it like just another paid performance. Emo's was packed at this point and everyone was bobbing their heads to DJ Babu's beats. Here is the interesting thing to about Monday night. According to Evidence, the technical difficulties that they were having were due to a hard drive crashing on what I guess was DJ Babu's laptop. In true DJ form, Babu did the whole set live versus running the show from a file off a hard drive. That's how it was done before laptops, so good thing they have a real DJ in Babu on boardrunning things. That wasn't the surprise of the night though.
Remember when I mentioned that The Alchemist was rumored to not be performing as scheduled after all? Well Evidence addressed that with the crowd and gave him a call from his cell live on stage. Just when we all thought he was a no show, out he comes! The Alchemist did indeed join Dilated Peoples on stage and gave the crowd what they came for...to come hear "Hold You Down" live. Sure there was no Nina Sky, but is was the highlight of The Alchemist's performance for me.
Speaking of surprises on stage, Evidence pulled a guy from the crowd on stage. He did so because he had a Dilated Peoples tattoo on his arm. That devoted fan was Bill Alverson. You can see the tattoo here in the picture with him and Evidence. This just goes to show how cool and down to earth the Dilated Peoples are. At the last Dilated Peoples show I attended at Stubbs, they stayed after to sign autographs and take pictures. They always do that. Other than their amazing sound, this is why they have such loyal die hard fans. Not all will end up with tattoos like Bill's but will always come to their show when in their city. They ended their set with their biggest hits "I Can't Live My Life" and "First Things First". Both Hip Hop classics if you ask me. Hopefully they will be back in Austin again soon as I imagine they will. They seem to do well here and people love them.
My only complaint and/or request is for them to bring some vinyl to sell with their merch. I would have bought a record and had them sign it. Remember that for me please next time if you read this. It would mean a lot to me and many other fans. Finally, if you missed the show you can check out the you tube clips I took from my camera.
Never in my life did I ever think I would ever get to see Hip Hip pioneer and legend Afrika Bambaataa. I thought I missed that chance as I was too young and didn't live in a major Hip Hop mecca like New York City. Well this past Sunday my luck changed. Thanks to a local email list I subscribe to, Do512, I was lucky enough to check out Bambaata over at Beauty Bar on 7th.
For those that don't know, Afrika Bambaataa is a Hip Hop legend best known for being part of the Zulu Nation and such hits like "Planet Rock" and "Looking For the Perfect Beat". If you do a Google image search you'll see him in really eccentric costumes, which he was also known for. Every real Hip Hop fan, B-boy, B-girl, hipster, scenester, dance music lover and their mom knows of Afrika Bambaataa. I had heard that he did DJ sets every now and then at various spots. Again, I was just surprised he came to Austin on a Sunday night. Then again I'm not surprised. That's Austin for you folks. That's the kind of scene and vibe this city has....one of the main reasons I love it here.
Starlynx and D.J. Dojo, according to the show flyer, were responsible for putting the show on. It turns out that D.J. Dojo is DJ Manny and DJ Big Face's record store on Sout h 1st. I had the privilege of meeting DJ Manny in May at an M.E. Live! taping. He was kicking it with Nortec Collective as they were both performing at the first annual Pachanga Festival. Well, here he was again with his DJ and business partner DJ Big Face at Beauty bar before the AfrikaBambaataa set. DJ Manny, being the down to earth and the cool dude that he is recognized me and thanked me for coming. As you can see from the picture, him and Big Face are both pretty animated dudes. The camera you see there was connected to a projector for them to project images on the wall while they do their set. It really adds to their show and is really cool in a dark setting. Their two man, DJ team set included some old school hip hop (of course) and some good electronic beats and rhythms.
Manny and Big Face wrapped up around midnight and did a good job getting the crowd dancing and ready for Bambaataa. What's funny is I was expecting Bambaataa to be in the same area DJ Manny was in, but he was in the DJ booth at the other end of Beauty Bar. I still made my way up to the front of the booth which was conveniently located by the bar (mmm...Lone Star). As he started spinning, me and everyone else went crazy. He spun some old school hip hop and I even remember so old school Luther Vandros in the set. I believe it was "All My Love", but the alcohol clouded my memory at that point. Plus, this wasn't the usual show where the artist or band performs and either I sit and watch or am fighting a crowd in mosh pit. This was a dance party. I was dancing my ass off getting sweaty, as it was crowded and humid Sunday night. I could literally ring my t-shirt out with sweat and I came home tired and worn out. Check out a shot I took of the crowd at Beauty Bar during the set. The crowd was your typical Beauty Bar crowd: eclectic, all races and all scenes represented including hipster kids, B-boys, and everything in between. Sunday night with Afrika Bambaataa was in my mind, what early Hip Hop pioneers envisioned for Hip Hop. Hip Hop would be a way to unite everyone regardless of crowd and age, class or race, and make them feel good together. Thanks to Starlynx and Beauty Bar for hooking this whole thing up and giving me one of my best memories yet.
When you see an Afrika Bambaataa DJ set, you just get down crazy (as in dance a lot). Something takes over you and you feel like it's the early 1980s all over again, when Hip Hop was fun and new. Hip Hop is alive and well in Austin, even though it isn't what we are really known for.
Ian is a graduate of Round Rock High School and attended St Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. In 2008 he joined the team at Double Stereo (formerly CD Fuse) as their Blog editor where he reviewed concerts, albums, and did interviews for the popular music site.In January 2009, he became the Editor in Chief for Austin Vida. In 2010, with the help of some of his most talented friends, he launched Red River Noise. "Ian's Music Blog" is also one of the few blogs selected to be a Do512 All-Star.
On any given night of the week he can be found in downtown Austin on 6th Street and the Red River live music district.
