When producer R.H. Valentino Sweeten, better known as “KontraX,” hosted the first Beat Lounge Beat Battle at Clifton Heights’ Baba Budan’s, he says he saw himself as a “people person” wanting to integrate local Hip Hop and not as a promoter. After the first Beat Lounge’s successful turnout, the bar booked the event every third Saturday for two years.
Beat Assembly
Hip Hop producers and spectators come together for The Beat Lounge
2 Comments · Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Hip Hop (Un)Scene: I'm Burnt
Artists can use 'burn-out' phases to refuel and reflect
1 Comment · Wednesday, June 23, 2010
I didn't like my last two columns. Straight up. What started out as lessons for independent artists felt like some holier-than-thou shit. And that's not cool. At all. So I'm sidestepping for a minute to write what will be the natural third arc in this column trilogy: the burn-out.
Hip Hop (Un)Scene: Ego Trippin'
Boasting about false accomplishments is useless for an artist and the scene
0 Comments · Tuesday, April 27, 2010
When you're fresh into a scene, it's hard to know who's telling what truths and who's leading on. The older I get and the more I fully dive into a career in music head-on, it becomes more obvious who's on their game and who's, for lack of a better term, full of shit.
R.I.P. Alex Chilton, Hello CD Sales and No Hip Hop in Texas
0 Comments · Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Having legendary singer/songwriter Alex Chilton die during the weekend of Austin's massive music showcase/conference South By Southwest is kind of like if Stan Lee died on the first day of Comic-Con. You'd be hard pressed to find an event where Chilton would be more understood, appreciated and instantly missed.
Jedi Mind Tricks
March 30 • Southgate House
0 Comments · Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Formed back in 1996, Jedi Mind Tricks has been an ever-evolving force in underground Hip Hop. From its influential debut album to the trilogy of "Army of the Pharaohs" projects (the latest, much-anticipated 'The Unholy Terror' comes out the day of the Southgate House show), the men of JMT have set a high bar with creative, imaginative tracks and crafty, powerful lyrics that mesh modern social commentary with old-school Hip Hop's swagger.
Hip Hop (Un)Scene: Smells Like Scene Spirit
When artists don't reach outside their safety zones, music stagnates
0 Comments · Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Why are local scenes so split? Not to say there aren't people who venture to other scenes in the city, but the majority stays put in their comfort zone. I could make this point for most music scenes in the city, but I'll stick to Hip Hop since that's what the column's title tells me this is about.
Hip Hop (Un)Scene: Ill Poetic Spills It
Looking back and hustling forward
1 Comment · Wednesday, May 6, 2009
I moved to Cincinnati from Dayton to attend UC in 2000. I dropped out of college a couple years later, but only because I was too addicted to the Hip Hop scene. What started out as high school ciphers and battles back in Dayton grew to UC talent shows, Top Cat’s battles, Scribble Jams and a lot of forgettable shows.
Hip Hop (Un)Scene: Beats, Rhymes and Life
Thinking global as the music world changes before our eyes
0 Comments · Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Think global. Major labels are falling apart. Independent labels and artists are picking up that slack. This means that slowly but surely local artists in every city aren't seeing the worth in trying to get that "huge deal." Over the past few years, and even more so in the coming years, this is the change agent that gives each city the opportunity for its own sound and movement.
Hip Hop (Un)scene: Online Etiquette
When on the 'Net, promote as you would in real life: Be coy, don't annoy
1 Comment · Tuesday, February 9, 2010
One thing I've learned to be careful of is killing an opportunity before you've even studied and realized exactly what it is. Social networking promotions and building is a chess game, not checkers: It's not about the immediate victory as much as it is the one three steps ahead.
Hip Hop (Un)Scene: The MC/DJ Relationship
Don't make a memory for yourself at the expense of the people
1 Comment · Tuesday, November 3, 2009
A DJ and artist's interaction is vital to a good show. Something I learned years ago is that no one will remember your lyrics and no one will remember your beats — the audience came to make a moment and memory. It's your job to give them that memory, and it's easier said than done. Don’t make a memory for yourself at the expense of the people. This is how you stand out.
