A beautiful soul loop and Illmatic sample comprise this standout joint off Chaundon’s newly released album The Jammington. There’s no bells and whistles for this clip; it’s simply an emcee, a dope beat and insighful rhymes (what a concept…). You can purchase The Jammington HERE.
“They thought Hip-Hop was here last week [with the BET Hip-Hop Awards]. Hip-Hop is really here this week…” – Dres the Beatnik
“I have to say that of the seven years, this has to be my favorite artist lineup.” – Brian Knott, A3C Founder
ATLANTA, GA — Atlanta’s 2011 A3C Festival kicked off yesterday with minimal problems and high-powered sets from an array of the industry’s respected names. The event began at 3 PM around the city with assorted “Meet and Greets.” Although many fans undoubtedly couldn’t attend them due to work commitements, it allowed the many artists and fans who flew in to be occupied before the evening. With many of those artists new to the industry, A3C filled out the rest of the afternoon with information panels on business models to market and brand independent music (“Do For Self,” “What Is the Hook”). Those who made it were treated to a eclectic blend of advice from veteran artists (Malice of the Clipse, Dungeon Family’s Backbone) and executives representing DTP, Grand Hustle, Audible Treats, BET and Universal Music Group.
By 6 PM, the Masquerade venue had begun filling up as the first artists took the stage. Upon approaching the site, you’re greeted to an outside stage, this year dubbed the “Underground Express” that featured performances from Torae, El Da Sensei, J-Live, Boog Brown and Rapper Big Pooh. Despite many of the bigger names being confined inside, this stage was important in that it set the tone for the rest of the showcases. This group provided the energy needed to break the 9-5 work sluggishness many initially brought to the venue. Torae premiered new 9th Wonder and Pete Rock produced tracks from his forthcoming For the Record (November 1) album. The sultry Boog Brown let the uninitiated know the ladies could rock just as hard with a few selected tracks from her 2010, critically-acclaimed Brown Study LP.
Inside the Masquerade, the site had two parallel rooms on the bottom floor (A3C Pro Audio Room, Perfect Attendance) and one upstairs (Creative Loafing). In any given room there were freestyle battles, producer showcases and break sessions for the beat junkies. Legendary producer Diamond D of the Diggin in the Crates crew treated fans to a near one hour set of just playing his favorite 45, which ranged from notable samples (Jay Electronica, Mobb Deep, Pharcyde, Minnie Ripertona and Nas) to the highly obscure.
The only glaring issue with Diamond D’s work is that he started an hour late and completely destroying the listed performance schedules. Fans now had to guess when their favorites would be going on and check back regularly to avoid missing out.
Nonetheless, wherever you stayed you were treated to good music. Some of the more subdued, cerebral artists like Wu-Tang affiliate Bronze Nazareth struggled to translate their styles to a live atmosphere. Others with eccentric personalities like Homeboy Sandman had no problems whipping the crowd into a frenzy with frenentic rhymes and call and response chants. Even the Ying Yang Twins, who when announced for the event several weeks ago had many underground fans raising eyebrows, won over those who watched them perform their catchy hits. And those who preferred their Hip-Hop with a harder edge were treated to lyrical sets from Ultra Beast, Freeway and Random Axe.
Outside of one big delay, A3C amazingly managed to avoid much of the chaos that usually marks the first day of big festivals. Today promises to be even bigger with performances scheduled from 9th Wonder, Big K.R.I.T., Freddie Gibbs, Skyzoo, Cory Gunz Saigon, Pill and Jean Grae.
Tickets for the two remaing days of A3C can be purchased HERE.
“Listen to the radio man, the shit is flooded with garbage…”
DJ Deadeye is not a name you’ll recognize right off the bat. As Termanology’s DJ and member of ST. Da Squad, he’s been honing his skills through mixtapes and serving as an opening act for the likes of Ghostface Killah, DJ Premier, M.O.P. and Kanye West. And you can see from the above photo, he’s built an impressive list of contacts. Now, he’s ready to take a stab at the spotlight with his own full length project, Substance Abuse.
This lead single lets you know right off the bat where Deadeye stands regarding commercial music; it’s mostly garbage. Even as clichéd as that is to proclaim in 2011, it doesn’t lower the expectation of the listener to come with something better. To that end, Deadeye recruits Chaundon, O-Dash and Rapper Big Pooh for the lyrics. Lee Bannon handles the production, a bluesy sample complete country guitar licks and a mellow vocal loop.
This crew doesn’t front like money is not important to them; the green and the pursuit of it is the central theme of the rhymes. Unlike many of their mainstream counterparts, they detail the perilous balancing act of trying to live off your music while maintaining integrity and honesty in your art and personal life. It’s a struggle that all emcees go through, but is sparingly talked about.
The tracklist for Substance Abuse follows the song link. No word yet on a release date.
DJ DEADEYE X CHAUNDON X O-DASH X RAPPER BIG POOH “JUST IN CASE’ (PRODUCED BY LEE BANNON)
& REEF THE LOST CAUZE
Living legend Quincy Jones is dropping his 37th (!) album next Tuesday (November) entitled Q: Soul Bossa Nostra. Like most of his recent LPs, it’ll be a complilation or sorts combining the best of Hip-Hop, R&B, and Pop music. The staggering guest list includes Usher, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, T-Pain, Robin Thicke, Amy Whinehouse, LL Cool J, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Wyclef Jean, Q-Tip, Thee Six Mafia, Bebe Winans, Mervyn Warren, Jermain Dupri, and Scott Storch.
This track with Ludacris is a reworking of Jones’ “Soul Bossa Nova.” You might remember several years ago Ludacris sampled the song for “Number One Spot,” which featured Quincy Jones in the video. This version is a much smoother rendition, R&B styled rendition. Check it out and the other versions to jog your memory.
“Brothers that weren’t into hearing coke and Colombians…”
A Tribe Called Quest is rightly revered by anyone who calls themselves a fan of Hip-Hop. But what about some individual love for Ali Shaheed Muhammad? Focus enlists Tanya Morgan members Von Pea and Donwill, and Justus League soldier Chaundon to do just that.
This joint is the latest in a song series where Focus plays homage to a Hip-Hop great. We have Twitter to thank for how Donwill got involved.
“Focus… does these homages, like, monthly and Von had put me on to ‘em,” Donwill told Beats, Boxing & Mayhem. “After the RZA one dropped, I went to Twitter and said, ‘Somebody tell Focus… I want in.’”
I’m sure Ali Shaheed Muhammad is somewhere smiling. I’m loving the Midnight Marauders-styled intro.
FOCUS X VON PEA X DONWILL X CHAUNDON “HOMAGE TO ALI SHAHEED”
TIMBALAND CELEBRATES LIL WAYNE’S FREEDOM
Timbaland hasn’t confirmed a start date for his Timbo Thursday series, but late tonight he appears to be giving us a little preview. This song, “Talk That,” features T-Pain and a ”lost” Lil Wayne verse. I’m still hoping Timbaland drops some late 90s/early 2000s joints from Aaliyah and Missy. I can do without Magoo.
Last week, Atlanta’s sixth annual A3C (All 3 Coasts) Festival returned to entertain and educate Hip-Hop fans with three days worth of music, panels and exhibitions. Every year, the A3C organizers strive to top their previous incarnations. For 2010, they put together a staggering list of 200 plus artists spread out over five different stages at the city’s Masquerade venue.
The first day was highlighted by Red Bull Music Academy’s stage, which hosted performances from Skyzoo, Buckshot, Jean Grae, 9th Wonder and Murs. But outside of the actual music, what made the first day special was how accessible the artists made themselves to media and fans alike. While going between different stages, you were prone to bump into any of the performing artists. And of course anytime a group of Hip-Hoppers get together, you can always expect a debate to break out regarding the state of the culture, who’s wack, and how we can move forward.
Jean Grae and 9th Wonder were especially accommodating in the area of Hip-Hop discussion/debate. Both arrived hours before their actual sets and spoke for nearly an hour each on their future projects and thoughts on today’s Hip-Hop. 9th Wonder revealed some surprising news, such as the fact he’s submitted several beats for Nas’ upcoming projects. Later, he spoke at length on stage about his career and approach to music. Jean Grae has always been a irrepressible spirit, and gave her thoughts on everyone from Waka Flocka and Nicki Minaj to Jay Electronica and Mos Def. She made it point during the informal talk to criticize when warranted, but also defend when her peers delivered quality work.
“When I like my ignorance, I like my ignorance really ignorant. [But] not in a Waka Flocka way,” Grae quipped. “I can’t really enjoy that because it’s really just nursery rhymes. I see why it works; I get it, its nursery rhymes. I like this song already; I’ve heard it a lot. [I like Nicki Minaj] on certain things, and other times not so much… [But] she kinda killed that [“Monster”] verse.”
For an opening night, the performances were very diverse. Downstairs from 9th Wonder, Buckshot, Jean Grae and company, the venue carried specialty stages like underground West Coast (Pac Div, Rocky Rivera etc.), Detroit (Marv Won, Kodac etc.), Women in Hip-Hop (Lyric Jones, Miz Metro, Rita J etc), and the label Mello Music Group (Trek Life, Boog Brown etc.). In addition, producers got their chance to have their work critiqued by established, industry professionals like DJ Toomp, The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and Needlz.
By the end of the first night, the performances had extended well past 2AM.
Punchline, Fokis, Senor Kaos, 4IZE at A3C Festival, Day 1
Jean Grae & 9th Wonder “My Story, #8, High”
Trek Life “Ready to Live, As the World Turns”
Day two was marked by nice array of informative panels for fans and artists alike. Artists looking to increase their online presence could check out discussions on social networking and media. And there were several mixers at the venue to allow journalists, producers, and emcees to link up and exchange their work.
Musically, older Hip-Hop fans were in for a treat. There was an event called “Red Bull 45’s,” where Diamond D, Evil Dee, DJ Scratch, Rob Swift, and Applejac took turns trying to outdo each other by spinning the favorites from their 45 collections. There were some rare ones that got dropped, and others that popped the crowd because they were recognizable, like Dionne Warwick’s vocals on “You’re Gonna Need Me (used on J Dilla’s “Stop”).”
One of better showcases that day came courtesy of the Bay Area’s stage, which mixed new (DaVinci, Moe Green) and established talent (Exile, Mistah F.A.B.). Exile is well-known for his production work, but made sure to display his fancy handiwork on the MPC with remixes of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and some original tracks.
Mistah F.A.B. has no problems adjusting his content to fit the non-mainstream audience. He used Reflection Eternal’s “The Blast” and Soul of Mischief’s “’93 Til Infinity” to break the ice and to show off his talent as a freestyler. There was no semblance of Hyphy, just straight spitting that even those unfamiliar with his work could rock with.
Of course with a festival this size, making sure everyone got their proper shine was a persistent issue. Because some of the stages were outside, a city ordinance was in place to make sure the music wrapped before midnight. This placed those artists on a strict timetable regarding their sets. If you were late or about to run over, your mic was promptly cut off. Homeboy Sandman had one such problem and had to sprint through his songs. Luckily, he was around the whole three days and got to make it up on another stage.
The last day was loaded with workshops, panels and additional stages from 2Dopeboyz, Okay Player and AllHipHop.com. Between the latter three, fans were treated to sets from Reks (w/ Statik Selektah), Torae, Tanya Morgan and J-Live. Unfortunately, these stages were outside, and AllHipHop.com’s last performers, Kidz in the Hall & Killer Mike, became pressed for time and had to cuts their sets to just 2-3 songs to make the city’s noise curfew.
Reks & Statik Selektah ”Self-Titled”
Reks, Statik Selektah, Joe Scudda & JFK “Say Goodnight, Drunken Nights”
Inside the Masquerade, there were no such problems. In one room, you could hear Emilio Rojas or the Artifacts spitting. In another you could sit and get a tutorial on the new Scratch Pro software for DJs. To close out the evening, Camp Lo and Rhymefest manned the main stage. The Bronx duo satisfied their fans by performing roughly half the joints from their memorable debut Uptown Saturday Night. Rhymefest’s affable personality and freestyle skill kept the crowd engaged, and he ended the night with a passionate plea for Hip-Hop fans to add “political involvement” as another element to the culture.
For only $33, A3C gives fans an unparalleled Hip-Hop event. No review can truly do justice to a festival that carries over 200 artists, so mark your calendars for October 6-8 2011 and experience the phenomenon for yourself.
Rapper Big Pooh feat. Joe Scudda & Chaundon “Plastic Cups”
Camp Lo “Lumdi, Krystal Karrington, Park Joint”
Camp Lo “Coolie High, Rockin’ It”
Rhymefest “Brand New, Top Billin’ Freestyle”
Rhymesfest Announces Candidacy for Chicago City Council
