Every Friday someone asks me, “what’s happ’nin’ this weekend??” This will be the place for you to find out. If you have an event you’d like to submit to be featured, email me with the subject “Event Submission.” I’ll feature it, along with other events happening within the same time frame. If it’s particularly dope, I’ll feature a more detailed write-up of your event.
(Right now, most events featured will be in Atlanta, since that’s my base. I’m open to events country and world-wide though!)
What better time to emerge from my hiatus than with this new joint from blctxt and producer King I Divine? In the midst of a turbulent sociopolitical time, “The Roots” is a thoughtful narrative reflecting this nation’s unjust timeline. “I’m a mortal man that wishes he had answers/I’ma have some kids I hope that they stand up/to the man with the gun in his hands/whose agenda is to wipe them off earth cuz he can.” Over King I Divine’s hypnotic sounds, blctxt’s insightful lyrics can’t help but resonate with folks that understand this struggle.
This song is from the A3C Vol. 4 compilation mix, which dropped today. The mix is full of dope artists: new ones you need to know and familiar ones you’ve been diggin’ for a minute. You can stream it here and cop it here.
King I Divine is a master of the cool ass beat. Dropping the instrumental version of Divine ScienZe 2, the producer blesses us with some good vibes and ridin’ music. Cop the album here and listen below.
I honestly cannot get enough of Amerigo Gazaway. He has consistently dropped exceptional projects, chiseling out a body of work that is undeniably his own. His latest mashup comes from the “The Big Payback” tribute mix series, which featured “The 45’s” by DJ Scratch and “The Legacy of JB” by J.Period. Amerigo Gazaway’s “J.B. and The Soul Mates” is a mean re-conceptualization of James Brown’s funkiness paired with artists who have felt the influence of The Godfather in some form. Download it here and listen below.
Other than less clothes, sun-kissed skin, patio dining and New Orleans style snoballs, DJ Jazzy Jeff and MICK’s annual Summertime mix is the warm weather constant I look forward to most. Summertime Vol. 5 will prove to be the soundtrack to your cookouts, your pool parties and your bones tournaments. With Biz Markie on the intro and classic gems from Herbie Hancock, Zhane, Bell Biv Devoe, De La Soul and a long list of many more, your guests won’t want the party to stop. Gon and download it here and thank me with an invite. Or just save me a plate. Stream the mixtape after the cut.
A handsome man with a beard can usually garner a few swoons from women. So it’s only right that Philly native Sean Falyon would pay homage to his well-conditioned beard with this new joint, “In My Beard.” Boasting about ladies mesmerized by his #Beardgang status, Falyon rhymes coolly over a funky, laid back beat. Ill production from Trifeckta with some crooning from Nick Anderson. Listen to the track after the cut. This artwork though…
Red Kotton is a relatively new, Atlanta-based independent music label and distribution entity. They pride themselves on showcasing and cultivating only the freshest, unique talents. Stay Tuned is Red Kotton’s answer to the mundane and the monotonous. Originally set to be a monthly event, Stay Tuned is a platform for artists on the cusp of success to share new music, wow new fans, and show the hell out, which is exactly what happened on Wednesday night. As host Anthony David proclaimed, there was not one wack ass song on the stage. That ain’t no an exaggeration.
The show opened up with the band Red Kotton Revival, which includes Red Kotton’s own Head of A&R Brandon Thomas. They played a rocked out version of Drake’s “Find Your Love,” setting the night up for the unexpected and newly imagined.
Ok, I’ll admit, the first thing that drew me to this joint was the cover art. That plate looks good as hell! Upon further inspection, this track is good food too. A bonus track from Damani Nkosi’s upcoming album Thoughtful King, this banger features a revolving door of dope Cali MCs. ill camille, Thurz, Ohno, S-Mak and Problem all have standout verses, which says a lot on a posse song. Get into it below.
20 years is a mighty long time to share yourself with someone. I know. I’ve been close with my best friend since kindergarten, over 20 years. She’s seen me at my most pathetic and she’s witnessed my most rewarding moments. Hell, we’re past friends. We’re family. That’s the connection I feel with y’all. To call myself a fan would diminish the kinship I feel when I ingest your rhymes. To liken my two decades long support to some groupie shit would deprave the sincere admiration I hold for y’all. I consider myself kin. Like a distant cousin. I know y’all, but I still don’t know y’all. But what I do know is that despite the proximity of our kinship, the pride I have for ‘Kast is unfaltering. I give thanks for y’all every time I slide Aquemini in my CD player and turn the volume up on Liberation, the first song to bring me to an emotional revelation. I give thanks every time I hear Player’s Ball during the Christmas season and recollect on my introduction to southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. I give thanks for two dope boys in a Cadillac when I press play on ATLiens and smile as my son chills in the backseat hollering “Hootie hoooo!”
Outkast is one of the reasons I grew up to be me. I grew up to have an authentic, unapologetic sense of self because y’all showed me that is was cool to be southern, creative, original and funky. Not to be ashamed of my slight country twang and laidback pronunciation of thangs. Opening Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik and first, feeling complete shock that my young eyes were taking in a naked, brown body with fierce afro puffs on the CD, then experiencing a sense of pride because I understood that her body was being celebrated, worshipped. Do you understand how dichotomous it is to be a Black woman who loves Southern hip hop? I’m talmbout, bouncing my ass to bass music but giving the screwface to the misogynistic lyrics? It’s tiring. Now, I won’t pretend that y’all have never spit a questionable line, but I can say that you’ve never shamed my womanhood. The Pimp and the Poet. The two of you spoke to the many facets of my growth as a woman. From Jazzy Belle to SpottieOttieDopaliscious to Slum Beautiful, I appreciated the stories you told of the women you knew. They were multidimensional: dynamic, sexy, bold, struggling and sweeter than a plate of yams with extra syrup. Those women were women that I could identify with as I matured. Thank you for that.
Thank you for giving the world dope, intelligent Southern folk. Thank you for being unfuckwittable. Stank you.
Audio Gumbo 