Prepare yourself for an out of body, inner soul experience of a lifetime. The journey you’re about to partake on requires nothing but your imagination. The ride will be intense but restraints or second thoughts aren’t necessary. The idea is to allow your mind enough liberty to embrace the path you shall embark on. For what is an imperceptible fantasy to the average person, is merely a day in the life of Rockwell Knuckles. Read the rest of this entry »
Ahhh…the daily hustle ‘n bustle surviving in these United States. Who would know better than a couple of Midwestern MCs, rapping on an empty stomach. Over a bare-bones palette crafted by Black Spade, the one whose Gotta Be Karim gives you a healthy dose of chicken soup for the soul. Read the rest of this entry »
“Keep a brainiac on payroll/to watch for the Dave Kleifelds & Fredos that get ya’ hit…”
Dr. Rockwell & Mr. Knuckles is back with a “Flow So Cold,” that I’m liable to believe he’s to blame for all the inclement weather that’s been going around lately. As he preps to release his upcoming Choose Your Own Adventure mixtape, Rocky drops off this teaser to whet your appetite. Staying on top of each & every piano stab, it’s very easy to get lost just in the vocal inflections and melody he creates over the beat. By the time you get around to your second listen, you’ll be ready to give his lyrics your full attention.
We tried to give you guys fair warning, so consider this just another friendly reminder. Get ready to Choose Your Own Adventure and just make sure Rocky’s involved in those plans.
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New Stoney Rock and it’s a soulful one. On a mainstream level, introspective songs may be lost or feigned, passed off as emo-rap. But with a ten-toes-down cat like Spade, there’s a candidness to his verses that remind us that all isn’t lost with Hip-Hop. Read the rest of this entry »
Sit and think about the insurmountable odds you have to face to get attention as a rookie in the rap industry, let alone on the Internet. First you have to prove you can actually spit (or at least do a damn good job faking it .) Then it’s either make a hit of your own that sweeps across the board or hijack the latest, greatest song of the moment to get your buzz circulating. But considering that there’s already a thousand or so treading the same boulevard, sometimes you have to wish upon your lucky star for that extra boost.
In Gotta Be Karim’s case, there isn’t an instrument in his arsenal that resembles the sounds of “routine”…or run-of-the-mill. Free of frills, fake, gimmicks and goofiness, his…LP 10,000 Apples (dare not call it a mixtape) is the exemplification of the Hip-Hop movement down to its core. His deliberate yet detailed delivery, flow across the music with the power of reason as well as the rhyme and with the majority of the production helmed by Black Spade of jack-my-beat-and-lie-about-it fame, you know the total package is equally soulful as it is stimulating.
Apparently, Stoney Rock sent out an email (to everyone but me!) regarding what he claims is the jacking of his beat.
Now, I was @ the same set (assuming it was ours) & told several people afterward that “Shining” had to be the best song from Charles’ show. And now I know why lol. Read the rest of this entry »
Understandably, DJ Trackstar’s a busy guy, but he’s been holding out on us y’all. We’ve been properly introduced to Wafeek, Vandalyzm,Black Spade, Karim, & Rockwell Knuckles but Nato Caliph has been kept in the shadows. I had to go all the way to Austin to find out about him and I won’t make you guys suffer from not going. Read the rest of this entry »
Preface this whole thing by saying that my memory is not the best. That’s why I went ahead & posted the The Temporary, Abbreviated Version before. Impaired by heavy intake of substances over the years along with the mass amount of info I process on a daily, my mental hard drive isn’t what it used to be so I have to frequently discard quite a bit. Therefore, I’m going to type up as much as I can remember from this past weekend’s Austin foray.
The number one rule of SXSW — If you want the sets to roll right, you better do it with white…people.
I say that with 100% love & respect. Aaron Berk, Jill & Aaron H. from the Knuckle Rumbler had everything coordinated to a tee, ushered artists along and were cordial, plus accommodating. If doff my New Era in full respect to them putting in all the work to pull this thing together & have it go off without a hitch.
The performance that most slept-on — Mickey Factz
I didn’t feel bad for Mickey. I felt bad for those who weren’t familiar with his music & his music seemingly went past them. Mickey wasn’t deterred & proceeded to work up a sweat while throwing himself into an amplified set. The height of his show was when he tore threw “Automatic” & “Hollywood.”
The performance that still leaves me on the fence about an artist — Charles Hamilton
Don’t get it twisted. Sonic laid it down, specifically “Loser” and “Brooklyn Girls.” But @ the same time, there were some awkward attempts @ interacting with the crowd that showed that his stage performance still needs some mastering. I’ll give son his credit due because after his performance, I caught him on the corner freestyling Mister F.A.B & a crowd of random folks.
The “MC means ‘Move the Crowd’” performers — Buff1 & Black Spade
Track managed to send over some pics from the Pangea (comprised of Wafeek & Rockwell Knuckles) show that went down a week or so ago. I missed the opportunity to trek to The Lou but fortunately, the homie Keegan @ the Riverfront Times has a bird’s eye synopsis. Read the rest of this entry »
Many an album has been ruined by a rapper’s misguided ambitions to inject his half-assed singing or shoddy production into the mix. Most MCs, producers, or singers are good at one thing and are better served sticking to it. It’s rare to find an artist that’s able to combine rhyming, rapping, and musical production at a sustained quality. But there are those that are capable of weaving these three skills together into something greater than the sum of the parts. And we can add Black Spade to that list. Read the rest of this entry »
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