We like the Tanya Morgan guys. On the exterior, they’re “Hardcore Gentlemen” who rap quite well and are cool as cucumbers as individuals. If you’ve been around long enough, you know that we once had Von Pea as an honorary guest for one of our Crew Love roundtable sessions many moons ago. And the team @ Audible Treats are always a delight to work with because they align themselves with authentic acts. So, when they pitched the idea of letting on of the performers from their inaugural SXSW showcase recap the event, it seemed brilliant…a brilliant way to escape work. Even more, it just helps to reiterate what type of energy that Hip-Hop brings to the festival, both for fans and performers. So, allow me to pass the mic keyboard to Donwill and let him take it from here. Read the rest of this entry »

Putting on all sorts of Hip-Hop showcases means having to sit through performances from a Secretary Of State line of rappers, which begins take it’s toll after about the two-hundredth time you’ve had to ‘throw your set up.’ Luckily, during the friction factory that was Hustlepalooza 2010 @ SXSW on Saturday afternoon, there was a welcomed and well-received songstress named Monica Blaire to clear up the congestion. She’s a product of the Motor City who I’d long heard had a reputation for stealing stage shows, but had personally never seen live. She lived up to and exceeded every expectation I had upon hearing her name announced by Hustle Simmons. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s still a bit hard for me sit through these days at the ol’ 9 to 5 after The Crew’s takeover of SXSW this past weekend. There are a million memories bouncing around my head, begging to be relived, and here am in a cubicle prepping sales calls. Bah-humbug. Read the rest of this entry »

I appreciate Chief’s music for the same reason I dig his video for “Days I Remember” — that is, I can relate to it. Chief lives modestly and loves wholeheartedly. I had the pleasure of meeting dude after his set at SxSW, and I told the Detroit-reppin’ MC that I appreciate that he openly wears his heart on his sleeve, both on and off the stage. From a fan’s perspective, it’s a trait that couldn’t be more refreshing amidst an industry of closed-off rappers and bloated egos. Read the rest of this entry »

When the seas parted, eleven Crew members walked from various points across the great expanse of America to convene in Austin, Texas. Though we spent a handful of days indulging the senses together — thrown into the immediacy and intimacy of a shared experience — the mark SxSW leaves on a person is as unique as a fingerprint. We all took in different shows, talked to different people and shook different hands. Read the rest of this entry »

I didn’t want to crash anybody’s browser by including all the video footage that’s been compiled thus far. So a few were chosen just to highlight some of what was witness @ SXSW, both on our stage as well as the stages of others (shouts to 2DB, Hip-HopDX, Duck Down and others). Again, the best I can suggest is to check out the YouTube channel and subscribe because there’s already 25+ clips added in the past 24 hours and still more to come. J. Cole, Rockwell Knuckles, Freddie Gibbs, Pill, David Dallas, Buff1, Killer Mike, Smif-N-Wessun, Sean Price, etc etc et. al. Also, lock in the TSS Vimeo channel because there’s a special presentation done in conjunction with Yours Truly – the same team who previously filmed remarkably slick clips of Freddie Gibbs – that we’ll be uploading there. Read the rest of this entry »

Of course there will be an unabridged recap full of storytelling, details and all the extras. But since we’ve been sporadic with the updates, I figure there’s a chance that many may be interested in what the heck we’ve been doing the past few days as well as thoughts going forward. If can’t wait for our take, check out Weiss’ “Bootlegging and Blog-Rap at the Nah Right and Smoking Section Showcase” writeup for the L.A. Times.

These are my ramblings.

– I’m going to go into intense physical training before SXSW 2011. Believe that. There’s no other way a body can withstand the insane amounts of walking, standing and complete sleep deprivation required. Read the rest of this entry »