You may or may not be familiar with the name Kameron Corvet, but thanks to his recent appearance on The Voice, he’s almost a household name. Based out of Atlanta, Kameron’s smooth tone is not to be taken lightly. I’ve seen the brother perform live; he’s got quite a voice (take that, Cee-lo, Christina, Blake and Adam!). Check out his new joint, “There Is No Tomorrow,” and judge for yourself.
The director of the acclaimed short documentary Underexposed: Indie Hip Hop in Atlanta delves into another aspect of the hip hop scene: the changes of the genre from inception to the present. W. Feagins, Jr. presents what looks to be a well-thought out piece on the inevitable evolution of hip hop and how it’s affected its artists and its audience. Hip hop, with its international presence, has proven that it can withstand the tests of time and scrutiny, but how does its change touch those close to it? Change In The Game will hopefully answer this question and stimulate more dialogue.
The film will premiere at A3C Film Festival at the Plaza Theater. Get more info on the screening here.
I know what y’all are thinking: “Damn, girl! Another Killer Mike post?? You on the payroll or somethin??” It’s not my fault. Really. If the man wasn’t dropping such prolific gems all over the place, his presence would be much more scarce around these parts. But he done done it again. From R.A.P. Music, one of the best albums of 2012, Killer Mike goes straight art history major in his new video “Untitled,” directed by Benjamin Dickinson. It’s only fitting, considering the rich, historical subjects mentioned throughout the track. Visually impressive, the images possess a haunting quality while commanding respect and acknowledgement. Check it out below.
Every once in a while, I’ll be struck by a particular sound, a sound that moves my spirit as well as my body. This is exactly what Atlanta-based band Jack Preston & The Dojo have done with their debut LP In The Land Of Wanderers. Sonically enticing, Wanderers feels like a journey into a space of light and everlasting funk. And the instrumentation is just sick! Vocals, keys, guitars, horns, percussion, and strings, every sound is heartfelt, emitting the energy of an eclectic collective. On the track “Find A Way,” the vocalists combine their voices into almost a choral presentation, evoking the spirit of gospel and soul, backed by the fused instrumentation of rock and funk.
The Dojo describes Wanderers as “a melange of sound and genre coming together to dance upon the ear, stimulate the mind, and comfort the soul.” Agreed. The album is worthy of at least one, thorough listen. But please believe, once you’ve experienced the sound, one time won’t nearly be enough.
Check out the album and info on The Dojo’s album release celebration under the cut.
“Hell’s Angel” is one of my favorite tracks from L.A. bred rapper THURZ‘s album L.A. Riot. While a bulk of the album carries a sociopolitical, conscious tone, this track brings out emotions of love, (dis)trust, and pain. The video does a nice job of aligning the lyrics with the image. But don’t let the appearance of a sexy ride and a cute girl fool you into thinking the video is just blue skies and romantic views. THURZ stays true to his discerning aesthetic with a serious twist at the end of the flick.
And if you still haven’t copped L.A. Riot, do that shit.
Peeped over at Ambrosia For Heads.
Tuesday night one of Atlanta’s hometown heroes blessed The Masquerade with his ghetto gospel. Killer Mike shut shit down gloriously. Appropriately so, the Into The Wild Tour kicked off in Atlanta and featured performances from Despot and Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, as well as producer/rapper El-P. But for me, that night was all about Mike Bigga; he made me “hip hop happy” (word to my dude blctxt for that one!) with his performance. When I tell you this man has the energy of a cat 1/3 his size, you wouldn’t believe me until you witnessed him jump up over a speaker. Mike performed most of his new album R.A.P. Music to a packed crowd, feeding off the frenzied energy like a hip hop zombie (too soon?). He had suburban White kids chanting, “Fuck Reagan” and had way back supporters bouncing to “Kryptonite” like it was 2006. And what’s “I’m On It” without Mr. Purple Ribbon himself? Yep, Sir Lucious Leftfoot made an appearance that will surely be added to the Atlanta Hip Hop Archives.
Check out tour dates, video footage, and photos under the cut…
I’ve been gone for a minute but this video right here?? Shit ignited a fire that needed to burn. Killer Mike’s video to his single “Big Beast” from his new album R.A.P. Music is just that…a fuckin’ monster. Director Thomas C. Bingham took the Tarintino route–gore, violence, gangstas, titties, and bad ass attitudes. It is impactful as it is entertaining. The cinematic perspective is one that has long been devoid in the realm of hip hop videos. As Killer Mike so eloquently stated, “I don’t make dance music, this is R-A-P/opposite of that sucka shit that they play on t.v.” And unless there are insurmountable edits, don’t even worry ’bout it hitting BET anytime soon. But feel free to check it out under the cut…
The Do For Self Initiative hosted another live event on Wednesday, this time featuring soul and funk as the highlighted genre of choice. Usually, Do For Self gears their productions more towards hip hop acts but since hip hop has much soul, the natural order of thangs would eventually lead the initiative towards funky rhythms. Hosted by blctxt, the night featured performances from Jack Preston and the Dojo Collective, Richelle Brown a.k.a. Cornbread, and Naira. Each set was steeped in a beautiful cosmic energy. While all the performances were magical, I was particular fascinated by Cornbread. Shawty bad. Her presence on that stage made me wanna kick off my shoes, light a j, and engulf myself in the sounds. Also, T-Bird and the Breaks travelled from Austin, TX to headline and inject their own brand of funk onto the scene. They played a mean cover of Aloe Blacc’s “I Need A Dollar.”
I told y’all last time about how a Do For Self production is laid out: collectiveness, unity, and dope energy. Ain’t nothin’ changed. Definitely be sure to check out each artists’ Twitter to find out more about them. You are welcomed.
*All photos courtesy of Underexposed’s Instagram and Facebook pages. ‘Preciate ya!*
There is most certainly a movement happening here in Atlanta: the continuous rise of indie hip hop. Unfortunately, it’s rarely captured by the radio or the television. But fear not. Photographer/film maker/web designer W. Feagins, Jr. of High Impact Multimedia Designs shot an intimate look of Atlanta’s musical culture that many times goes unseen by mainstream eyes. UNDEREXPOSED: Indie Hip Hop in Atlanta highlights the incredibly lively spirit of the underground hip hop movement. With interviews featuring more than 40 people with ties to the indie community, Feagins shines a light of awareness and relevancy to what’s been going down in the cut for quite some time. If you’re in Atlanta, this film should encourage you to spend time in venues such as 529, Apache Cafe, the Sound Table and other dope spots that showcase the undeniable talent tearing through ATL’s hip hop scene.
Visit UNDEREXPOSED on the web for more info.
The film is nominated for Creative Loafing’s 2012 ATL Short Cuts Viewer’s Choice. Vote for the short here. Voting ends on March 16th, so get on it!
Shawty. This shit is soooo nasty. One of those tracks that belongs in your ride. For real. Your computer speakers won’t even truly do this track justice.
Everything about this joint knocks so hard. As usual, Killer Mike does not disappoint. He combines his monstrous, hard-hitting lyricism with El-P’s extraterrestrial bass to create just a piece of the eagerly awaited collaboration R.A.P. (Rebellious African People) Music (yes, the title is dope as fuck). Mike enlisted kings of the South, Bun B and T.I., which gives this track crazy credibility. Oh, and don’t sleep on that artwork, either–from fellow ATLien Fahamou.
R.A.P. (Rebellious African People) Music drops on May 15. Pow muhfucka!
