Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly, one half of the multi-platinum 90s duo Kriss Kross, has died tonight in Atlanta. He was 34 years old.
Kelly was found unresponsive in his home earlier tonight around 7:25 p.m. EST. He was rushed to Atlanta Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
At press time, a cause of death has not been determined.
Discovered as a adolescent in an Atlanta mall by So So Def founder Jermaine Dupri, Kelly and rhyme partner Chris “Daddy Mac” Smith scored their first big hit with 1992′s “Jump.” The song would spend eight weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Top 100 and go double platinum. Their debut album, Totally Krossed Out, would go 4X platinum that same year.
The group would released two more albums: 1993′s Da Bomb (platinum) and 1996′s Young, Rich and Dangerous (gold).
Kriss Kross’s final appearance came earlier this year when the duo performed as a part of the So So Def Reunion show in Atlanta.
Big Boi takes up on a quick, guerrilla-cam trip through ATL in his new video for the 808-heavy “In the A.” Funny thing is, from the beat you’d expect Ludacris to murder this song with the frenetic flow that defined his initial albums. Instead it’s T.I. who takes that approach and blows everyone away. Check out Luda’s shot at trap muzik to close his verse. This song is featured on Big Boi’s latest album Vicious Lines and Dangerous Rumors.
Earlier today, the sad news broke on Twitter that Natina Reed of the late 90s group Blaque was killed a car accident late Friday night. Contrary to those initial reports, Reed was not killed in a hit and run — the 32 year old singer was struck by a Honda Accord while walking on Lawrenceville Highway. The accident was reported by the driver and while an investigation is still pending, the driver is not expected to be charged.
The two surviving members of Blaque, Shamari Fears-Devoe and Brandi Williams, released a joint statement revealing the group had recently reunited and were working on a new music. An album had been worked on in 2005 that has never been released.
Blaque’s biggest hits were “808″ and “Bring It All To Me.” Reed ventured out into acting in 2000, starring in Bring It On with Gabrielle Union.
Natina Reed is surivived by her 10-year-old son Tren Brown with DPG’s Kurupt. Below is her final interview at the Left Eye Music Festival held in July.
Just Blaze was one of the esteemed producers on hand last Saturday in Atlanta for the A3C Festival’s final day. The panel included the likes of Apollo Brown, Needlz, S1, The Olympicks, !llmind and Focus playing an assortment of beats from their vaults. Just Blaze, who I still vividly remember playing the still unreleased “Exhibit B” at a closed Red Bull interview session a few years back, was kind enough to drop two forthcoming tracks from his catalogue.
Just said he doesn’t believe anyone has sampled the portion of “Human Nature” he used and I think he’s right. He didn’t mention who the beat will be going to, but I know I’d love to hear Jay-Z take a stab at it.
My apologies for my sound not being the absolute best, but you’ll get the gist of both tracks. Also, there’s a bonus Nintendo-inspired beat at the end.
ATLANTA, GA — Day two of A3C 2012 is now in the books. I’m willing to bet there’s many still recovering; when I left the main Masquerade venue at well past 2 a.m., there were still emcee freestyle cyphers and DJ competitions going on.
On Thursday, the events at the Masquerade were confined indoors, as the outside stage had not been opened up. Last night, all four stages were in play, ranging from a live broadcast of the Combat Jack show inside to the IHipHop outside stage that featured the likes of Chino XL, Torae, Prodigy and Freeway. The two aforementioned stages are where I split my time. Due to the other site locations that featured shows with the Dungeon Family, Trae the Truth, Thurz and others, The Masquerade was crowded but not as heavy as last year’s festival.
I arrived in time to catch Prodigy’s 15-minute set. With such a compact time and being solo, Prodigy’s performance was a short litany of his best efforts: “I Shot Ya,” Keep It Thorough” and “Hold You Down” were among the standouts. And of course what a Mobb performance be without the appropriate ending, “Shook Ones, Part II.” Hey Havoc, y’all need to stop the BS and reunite.
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Running back inside, I missed DJ Drama’s Q&A on the Combat Jack show, but got the pleasure of hearing Just Blaze and Killer Mike discuss the politics of Mike’s R.A.P. Music album, how to create positive movements in Hip-Hop and the definition of “black excellence.” Above anything, both men stressed the importance of not just networking for superficial perks, but creating lasting partnerships with like-minded individuals. While Mike tackled the political and social implications for black people by utilizing this philosophy correctly, Just balanced it out by focusing on how it could be applied to the music industry (using Saigon’s career as an example).
Upstairs, the homegirl Boog Brown was working some “magic” on the Red Bull Soundstage. Those of you who’ve read this site over the past few months are familiar with her skill. Those who aren’t, get initiated.
Running back outside, Nipsey Hussle was finishing up his set with his “This Planes” track. Just from gauging crowd reactions over the last day, there aren’t that many West Coast fans that made the trip out. Nonetheless, Nipsey’s style is appealing enough that the crowd was won over. Bringing out Houston’s Trae the Truth (whose numerous guest spots ensures he’ll be working hard all weekend) didn’t hurt either.
Chino XL brought out the lyric fanatics, especially with his “Deep Cover” version of ”Naah!” and a phenomenal, somber closing rendition of “Wordsmith.” It’s remarkable to consider that Chino dropped his debut in 1995 and is still operating a high lyrical level approaching 20 years later. You could tell from some of the faces in the crowd that his style was a little too dense for some, but the respect for the obvious work he’s put into his craft was definitely there.
After a nice, quick energy-building set from Freeway that featured “Roc da Mic” and “What We Do,” the outside stage was finished off by the Chef Raekwon. Unlike Big Boi yesterday, who chose to just handle his verses from Outkast’s catalogue, Rae was ambitious in trying to also rhyme the verses of other Wu members and emcees on classic joints like “Verbal Intercourse,” “Criminology,” “House of Flying Daggers” and “John Blaze.” This came with mixed results, as all the hard work clearly had Rae out of breath at times. Not that it mattered; just hearing those vintage tracks with Wu royalty present had the crowd filling in the bars when needed.
Because of bad parking, most fans elected not to try and travel across town to check out The GZA, who was performing ALL of Liquid Swords in its entirety. Thankfully, GZA gave us a surprise treat in stopping by for a quick drop of “Shadowboxin’” before leaving for the Terminal West stage.
Legends Kool DJ Red Alert and DJ Teddy Ted were on hand for a special DJ competition entitled “Needle to the Record” at the Guitar Center Stage. The showcase had some classic turntablism from the aforementioned two and some new school, amazing scratching from guys like DJ Shiftee.
My evening was finished off back upstairs at the Red Bull Soundstage with The Beatnuts and Alkaholiks, recently united to form the supergroup The Liknuts. Like the name implies, you get all the adult humor, lyricism and thupping beats you’d expect from these veterans. Juju looked to be getting drunk throughout the show, and went through a few lyrical brain farts on those older Beatnut tracks. Nonetheless, it was an overwhelmingly festive atmosphere. While the Beatnuts are more laidback, the Liks’ Tash and J-Ro are all energy, providing a great contrast.
Both groups have always stated they’ve been overlooked and not given due credit for their contributions to Hip-Hop culture. Seeing them live, it’s hard to argue. You won’t find their songs when you look back on Billboard charts, but their catalogue is chock-full of classic cuts. If you forgot, tracks like “Daaam,” “Make Room,” “Reign of the Tec,” “Watch Out Now” and “No Escapin This” served to be excellent remainders. The only question now is when is that Liknuts album dropping?
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That’s all from Day 2. The finale tonight will have the likes of Twista, Tech N9ne, Devin the Dude, Mello Music Group, Jamla Records, Slum Village and many more. Tickets can still be picked up at www.A3Cfestival.com.
Disclaimer: With over 300 artists, multiple citywide sites, film showcases and panels, anyone without at least a 20-man team cannot give a true recap of all the happenings over the course of the 3-day A3C Festival. This recap is just one writer’s experience at the events he chose.
ATLANTA, GA – The 2012 edition of the A3C (All 3 Coasts) Festival has upped the ante: more artists, more interactive events and more locations. Since 2010, A3C has held their festival at the Masquerade, utilizing the venue’s vast open space to post two stages outside and three inside. But with this year brining in over 300 artists, even that was not enough. Now the entire city has become A3C’s playground, with sites ranging from the storied Plaza Theatre to several spots in the bohemian Little Five Points District.
Arriving fashionably late around 6:30 p.m., the main site offered me DJ sets throughout the night from such established names as DJ Hurricane, Young Guru and Kool DJ Red Alert. And those who were able to make it in the afternoon got treated to panels on the legalities of the music industry, the politics of voting and the money management. Artist-wise, acts like Cyhi the Prynce, Chip tha Ripper, Sha Stimuli and The CunninLynguists held down the fort well past midnight.
Knowing I’d spend the majority of tomorrow at the main site, I ventured across town to a venue named Terminal West for BET’s stage, appropriately titled “Music Matters.” I got there in time to hear a few songs from DMV’s own Phil Ade, whose rapid-fire wordplay won over most the crowd despite a short set. Kid Daytona had a harder time but got a better response and the end with his new Jadakiss-featuring single “Low.”
Business really picked up when 9th Wonder hit the the stage to intro his very talented Jamla signee, Rapsody. How do you get the crowd on your side? Stepping on stage while ripping Jay-Z’s “Takeover” beat is a good start. And with a catalogue that’s heavy on lyricism, the camera phones quickly started coming out to record her flow on tracks like “NonFiction” and “Believe Me.” If you don’t have her just released debut album The Idea of Beautiful, do your ears a favor and pick that up ASAP.
Ditto that last sentence for Skyzoo and his album of the year contender A Dream Deferred. Sky followed up Rapsody with selections off that project and Live From the Tape Deck. The former features a tribute track, “Jansport Strings,” to the then teen rapper he saw on TV that inspired him to rhyme, Chi Ali. Just released from a near 12 year sentence for manslaughter, Ali graced the stage for the “Jansport Strings” remix.
Kirko Bangz’ set with a little jarring coming right after Skyzoo’s, but he and guest Trae the Truth didn’t waste time and went through a quick set that prevented any lag time.
The night’s closer was Big Boi, who was only scheduled to do four songs. That turned into an hour-long fantastic performance that ran the gamut of Outkast’s legendary catalogue, Big Boi’s own hits and even the Purple Ribbon all-stars. You would think hearing classics like “Rosa Parks,” “B.o.B.,” “Ms. Jackson,” and “ATLiens” without one-half of the equation wouldn’t feel complete, but Big Boi and hypeman C-Bone’s energy, along with the crowd’s, was at such a high level that it didn’t even matter. This allowed Big Boi to move quickly into each classic going all the way back to the “Southernplayalistic…” and “Player’s Ball” days. And let’s not be mistaken; Big Boi had a good number of his own bangers to go through in “Ghettomuzik” (that Pattie LaBelle breakdown is heaven live), “Shutterbug” and “General Patton.”
Former friend-turned enemy-turned friend Killer Mike came out to lead off the closing segment, reciting his standout verse on Bonecrusher’s “Neva Scared Remix,” his joint “ADDIDAS,” and his part on “Whole World.” The only complaint is we unfortunately didn’t get Mike’s “Yeah!” which may off just blew the roof off. To close, the present Purple Ribbon All-Stars graced the stage for a joyous rendition of “Kryptonite.” And the only reason we didn’t get more is due to the venue shutting down.
This was Big Boi’s first A3C performance and he was so impressed with the crowd that he promised to try and make it out for the remainder of the week. If so, he’ll join a deep roster tonight featuring the likes of The GZA (performing ALL of Liquid Swords), Chino XL, Prodigy, Raekwon, Freeway, Nipsey Hussle and many others.
Check back here early Saturday for the Day 2 recap.
The political rage of Killer Mike’s “Reagan” is brought to life through the lenses of animation. From the influx of drugs to the Iran-Contra Scandal, President Ronald Reagan’s tenure and its legacy is given an ugly spotlight. Definitely one of the year’s more creative videos (to go along with one of the year’s best albums).
The goddess Sa-Roc has dropped a new video off her Ether Warz project. Fellow Atlanta residents will note the familiar surroundings. The track is produced by Sol Messiah. If “vimana” is a foreign term, a quick google search will show how this is a creative flip on the whole “jet life” movement. I need to hit up Sa-Roc to see if she’s willing to pass on God’s number…
The good folks of Atlanta Corporate Fight Night return tomorrow (June 7) with their latest charity event. Corporate Fight Night is a black tie event that recruits every day people to train vigorously for several months before competing in a sanctioned amateur boxing match. The previous four events have had boxers ranging from sales executives to lawyers and doctors. Tomorrow will feature a celebrity bout with Atlanta’s own DJ Nabs. And best of all, the proceeds from the event will be disbursed among local community charities.
Corporate Fight Night will take place at The Foundry at Puritan Mill (916 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30318). Tickets are still on sale ranging $25-$100 and can be purchased HERE . For additional information, visit www.corporatefightnight.com and www.decaturboxing.com.
Former welterweight titlist Paul Williams has been paralyzed with a prognosis to never walk again after a motorcycle accident Sunday morning in Atlanta.
According to Williams’ manager George Peterson, the accident happened at 8 a.m. when Williams was thrown from his vehicle after swerving to avoid a head-on collision.
The 30-year-old Williams was wearing a helmet but had to undergo surgery to stabilize his spinal cord. At press time, Williams is conscious but expected to remain hospitalized for the next several weeks before beginning rehabilitation.
“He’s telling jokes and saying if he doesn’t box again, he’ll do stand-up comedy. He’s in good spirits but he is also in denial,” Peterson told ESPN. “But he’s coherent. I had an excellent conversation with him. When I walked in the door (on Sunday) about 5:30 in the afternoon, he said he’d be ready to go back to camp on Monday. I guess I’m in denial, too, because I have seen him overcome so much adversity before and come back. We’ll pray about the situation.”
The accident eliminates Williams from a lucrative contract to face undefeated Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in September at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand for the WBC light middleweight title. The championship would have been Williams’ first pay-per-view main event.
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This has been a horrid holiday weekend for boxing fans. Sadly, I was just pricing my trip to Vegas for this fight yesterday here in Atlanta. Williams had a very good career with his best wins over a then feared and avoided Antonio Margarito, the rematch blowout of Carlos Quintana and the first battle with Sergio Martinez. Nonetheless, it’s a cruel fate to see his biggest chance at the spotlight against Canelo being snuffed out this way.
The only bright spot is that reportedly Williams has been very smart business-wise with the money’s he’s made thus far, so hopefully he won’t struggle in making the transition. As for the Punisher never walking again, I wouldn’t bet against him based on the heart he’s shown in the ring.
