Phoenix up and comer Mouse Powell is dropping his album “Where It’s Cloudy” on November 20th.
He is dropping goodies in anticipation of it every Monday on Twitter under the hash tag #mousemondays including today’s offering which is a sampler mixed by Avenue Of The Arts Crew affiliate DJ LES735.
Enjoy!
Headliner : Mac Lethal
Advance Ticket Price : $10.00
Day Of Show Ticket Price : $12.00
Venue : Red Owl
With Special Guests : Everyday Affiliates * Mouse Powell * DJ Les (Aota Crew)
Door Time : 8:00 PM
Age Restrictions : 18+
Biography : Mac Lethal is a hip-hop/folk artist from Kansas City, MO. After getting his start as a battle rapper at the prestigious, world renowned freestyle battle festival Scribble Jam, he shattered the stigma that battle rappers cannot write quality songs and began to self-release his own quirky music. Quickly he began to catch the attention of artists like Sage Francis, P.O.S, and Atmosphere, who he subsequently toured with.
His direct influences are the lyric writing of vocalists like Tom Waits and Isaac Brock; the wordplay and quirks of artists like MF DOOM and Eminem; and the attitude of stand-up comedians like Bill Hicks and Louis C.K.
He currently operates and owns independent record label, Black Clover Records, which has been the home for Mac’s self-released Love Potion Collection CDs (volumes 1-5) and The Original 11:11 Sessions.
He also released 11:11, commonly considered his debut album, through Minneapolis flagship record label Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2007.
Headliner : Jean Grae
Advance Ticket Price : $12.00
Day Of Show Ticket Price : $15.00
Venue : Red Owl
With Special Guests : Mr. Len * The Insects * Rae Rae
Door Time : 9:00 PM
Age Restrictions : 21+
Biography : Jean Grae (real name Tsidi Ibrahim, also known as What? What? & Da Easter Bunny, born November 27, 1976) is a hip hop artist from New York.
Born in Cape Town, South Africa on November 26, 1976, the daughter of South African jazz musicians (her father and mother are the celebrated musicians Sathima Bea Benjamin and Abdullah Ibrahim), she studied Vocal Performance at the LaGuardia School of Music & Art before majoring in Music Business at New York University. She also did some modelling during her teen years.
Ibrahim initially worked under the names Major Woody & Da Easter Bunny because she thought it would be funny to hear those names announced at shows. After working with groups including Ground Zero, she joined a hip hop music group called Natural Resource in the mid-1990s, along with rapper Ocean. In 1996 they released a pair of 12-inch singles called Negro League Baseball b/w “Bum Deal” b/w “They Lied,” and “Bum Deal(remix)” b/w “They Lied(remix)” b/w “I Love This World” on their own label Makin’ Records. She also appeared on singles by fellow Makin’ Records artists Pumpkinhead and Bad Seed, and on the O.B.S. (Original Blunted Soldiers) double 12-inch single alongside crew members Pumpkinhead, Bad Seed, and Meat-pie, and produced much of the material released on the label under the pseudonym Run Run Shaw. During this period she established strong ties with the Brooklyn Academy crew, with which she would appear throughout her career.
Some people do themselves. They lay low, and keep to themselves. Often they are mistaken for the anti-social, the outcasts, the loners. But not Nick Nice, whose an emcee from the upstate New York area. Nick has been carefully tucking himself away and worrying about himself and that’s it for quite a while. But rest assured, hand Nick a microphone and you’ll understand why.
Long before the days of Google and the ability to search for lyrics, Nick would sit in front of a tape player with a pen and a pad, and one finger ready to smash the pause button, so he could write down the lyrics to his favorite songs and recite them word for word. Which gave the emcee a much better understanding of the meanings the artists were trying to communicate.
“I have been a fan of hip-hop for as long as I can remember” Nick says. “I never planned on being any sort of artist when I was growing up. In fact, I didn’t even attempt to make music until I was 21-22 years old”
By writing down the lyrics to those songs, Nick had gained a much better understanding of how to structure songs and eventually that’s what led him to writing down his own thoughts on paper. The artist openly admits that it took him a while to find his style, and that he is still searching for ways to make it better. Eventually after meeting some of the local artists around the upstate New York area that helped him out a bit, the emcee developed a craft that he was proud of.
“My first real recording experience was with my fellow GCE member and friend Dr. Khil, I met him in 2006 through a mutual friend.” Says Nick. “He provided me with my first original beats, and eventually helped me record my first LP titled Sunday Afternoons. I learned so much from Dr. Khil. I then felt like I finally had the tools to make music on my own”.
Now music wasn’t a huge influence on Nick when he was young. The emcee’s father is credited with with most of the musical influences that Nick did have as a child. He would always make the artist pay attention to old Blues and Rock n’ Roll lyrics while growing up and would break down individual points through the songs. But the artists father at that time was completely anti-hiphop.
Nick says “I can’t say that I blame him though, because what he hated and complained about then, is exactly what I can’t stand these days. I am glad that he opened my eyes to many different genre’s and what they have to offer to the music world. To this day, he is also one of my biggest supporters”
Nick’s older step-brother was partially responsible for his hip-hop influence. The classics that his step-brother would play would travel through the bedroom walls and into the emcee’s room as he was growing up.
Having kept to himself for the most part and observing the scene that surrounds him. Nick has some strong feelings towards the scene that he is apart of. The artist feels there is more hate coming out than actual support. With the amount of talent that is lurking in the 518 area, the emcee feels that with the right strategy the area could be put on the map and have a significant impact to the hip-hop scene.
The emcee said “I’ll probably get criticized for this, but I think the upstate NY (518) scene is a joke. I don’t mean talent wise either. But how it is orchestrated” “I see the biggest problem being that everyone wants to hate on each other instead of support each other” Says Nick “I’ve tried to reach out to everyone that I have ever met and or seen in the area, and aside my own crew, everyone acts like they’re too big for that. We’re a small region, it’s going to take some unity to garner the attention we need. The only one that’s doing anything positive for most of us collectively is WCDB 90.9, shout out to Lofi Lobo.”
The emcee understands the competition involved with the hip-hop industry.
“It’s a shame that when you actually do get a semi-diverse line up at some venue, it’s almost guaranteed that once one act gets their shine time, they’ll go ruin the rest of it for the following acts” Says Nick. “I’ll end on this subject with this, I haven’t seen one act from this area make it to the top. So none of us are better than any of the rest. You want to compete, I’m with it. But let’s make it to the game first”
Nick Nice has had a few mixtape and his upcoming third LP was released just a few days ago. The album is titled Nice Guys Finish Last. The emcee has been working hard on the project since about November of 2010. The album features production from Dr. Khil, Melvin Junko and more. Features GM, JK Tha Cap’n, Killah Trakz, Pete Pluto, Cose MP and more.
“It’s really hard to narrow it down, but over the past year I have had so much fun working with the whole Glass Ceiling Effect crew” says Nick about who he’s enjoyed working with recently. “I’m just glad to be putting projects together with some people that have the same love and appreciation for the music that I always have. Truly some of the best talent collectively I’ve ever seen…518 or otherwise.” Said the emcee.
So what’s next for Nick Nice? Well, he’s got a couple of EP’s he will be working on. One with GCE’s CoseMP from the Phoenix area. Then a couple others.
“My main focus will most definitely be to keep pumping this album throughout the street and the web. It’s my baby for sure. So it’ll be a little while before you get any more full length releases from me.” said Nick. “But, I do plan on putting together a couple EPs in the near future with a couple of my GCE boys. One with CoseMP, for sure. And the other I’m gonna keep under wraps for now because it’ll be a little bit of a surprise how it’s put together. Won’t see it coming”
So now you have a little bit more insight on the artist currently known as Nick Nice, feel free to check out his music at http://nicknice.bandcamp.com where you can download his new album and the rest of his music for free99. Follow him on twitter as well @NickNice.
First single off of “Nice Guys Finish Last” Run Away Ft. Andrea Scarchilli produced by Melvin Junko
Time 9:00pm
$5 - 21+
Location
Hidden House
607 W Osborn Rd
Phoenix, Arizona
Headliner : Phaorahe Monch
Advance Ticket Price : $10.00
Day Of Show Ticket Price : $15.00
Venue : Club Red
With Special Guests : Afro Classics * Writers Guild * More TBA
Door Time : 8:00 PM
Age Restrictions : 21+
Biography : Monch released three albums as part of the rap duo, Organized Konfusion with partner Prince Poetry: The self-titled Organized Konfusion, Stress: The Extinction Agenda and The Equinox. The duo handled a large amount of production on these albums themselves. All albums received positive critical reviews, but moderate sales. As a result, the duo split up after recording their final album The Equinox in 1997. Prince Poetry has since denied the possibility of an Organized Konfusion reunion.
Pharoahe Monch then signed to Rawkus Records, an indie label. After making several guest appearances on albums like the best-selling Rawkus compilation Soundbombing 2, Monch’s much-hyped debut, Internal Affairs was released in 1999. The first single of the album, Simon Says, was a major hit in 1999; he was later sued for the use of a Godzilla sample for the beat. He also had a 2001 hit with “Got You,” though the single ultimately didn’t sell well, and he also contributed the track “Fuck You” to the Training Day soundtrack. In 2003, Pharoahe released his final single through Rawkus Records, “Agent Orange”, a war inspired song which revisited the 1991 Organized Konfusion track “Releasing Hypnotical Gases”.
Pharoahe’s song “Simon Says” was featured in the 2000 cinematic release Charlie’s Angels. Viewers will recognize the song and backbeat in the scene where Sam Rockwell is lighting a cigarette in the castle, while holding Drew Barrymore hostage. Two of Monch’s songs, “Right Here” and “Simon Says” were featured in the movie Boiler Room.
Headliner : Mac Lethal
Advance Ticket Price : $10.00
Day Of Show Ticket Price : $12.00
Venue : Red Owl
With Special Guests : TBA
Door Time : 8:00 PM
Age Restrictions : 18+
Biography : Mac Lethal is a hip-hop/folk artist from Kansas City, MO. After getting his start as a battle rapper at the prestigious, world renowned freestyle battle festival Scribble Jam, he shattered the stigma that battle rappers cannot write quality songs and began to self-release his own quirky music. Quickly he began to catch the attention of artists like Sage Francis, P.O.S, and Atmosphere, who he subsequently toured with.
His direct influences are the lyric writing of vocalists like Tom Waits and Isaac Brock; the wordplay and quirks of artists like MF DOOM and Eminem; and the attitude of stand-up comedians like Bill Hicks and Louis C.K.
He currently operates and owns independent record label, Black Clover Records, which has been the home for Mac’s self-released Love Potion Collection CDs (volumes 1-5) and The Original 11:11 Sessions.
He also released 11:11, commonly considered his debut album, through Minneapolis flagship record label Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2007.
For a long time and even still to this day. The general observation has been that the male is far more superior in almost every thing he does compared to the female. This is not true, not in the slightest. The hip-hop scene has been dominated by male emcee’s since the start of what we know hip-hop as today. However, there are some very talented female emcee’s out there that put in just as much work if not more than most.
Psalm One is one of those female emcee’s that has put in plenty of hard work to get to where she is at today. A local to the south side of Chicago, Psalm has been attracted to the pen for quite sometime.
“I have been a writer since I could hold a pencil. My writing just evolved into rap lyrics, which the traveler in me wanted to perform.” says Psalm. “ That provided an opportunity to do music for a living. So I quit my job as a Chemist at a food lab in 2006 to pursue rap full time. But I feel l like I’ve been an emcee since college, that’s when I started recording more”.
In her junior year of high school Psalm would enter neighborhood rap battles. While attending the University of Chicago she released her first EP which was titled “Whippersnapper”. Prior to that, she would rap at showcases that were sponsored by the black student union.
“My biggest influences as a little girl were my mother and Stevie Wonder. My mother raised me single and we were far from rich. But she always found a way to show me the finer things, even if we did live in Englewood for the majority of my childhood.” states the artist “Stevie Wonder floored me when I heard what he was doing without sight. He made me feel lazy for not doing more with my own, so that was inspiring as well”.
Being involved in the Chicago hip-hop scene at the right time is how Psalm One eventually got involved with Minneapolis based Rhymesayers Entertainment. Being close friends to a number of people that were involved within the organization, they saw her growth as an artist and eventually took an interest in the emcee’s career.
“Brother Ali is a close friend, I owe a lot of my introduction to Rhymesayers to him. But we are a family of hustlers. I’m only a 6 hour drive from Minneapolis” says Psalm.
Like previously stated while she was attending college she released her first EP that was in 2001. Her follow up to that came prior to her graduation at the University of Chicago, it was her first full length LP titled “Bio: Chemistry”. Over the next few years she would release another EP and a follow up LP titled “Bio: Chemistry II: Esters and Essays”. Between the time of her first and second LP’s she was living in the greater Chicago area working as a Chemist for a food lab.
“I have not worked as a Chemist in a proper laboratory since 2006. I have, however, helped a few kids with their Chemistry projects since then. My primary career is being an Emcee”. Said the artist about working as a chemist in today’s times.
After her second LP which was released in 2004 she went on to perform on the Vans Warped Tour. After that, in 2006 she released her last album titled “Death of a Frequent Flyer” on Rhymesayers Entertainment. She toured with the label until 2009. Just last year she released a series of compilations through her website titled “Woman at Work” which as has 3 volumes so far. One of which was a track in which the emcee raps 500 bars.
“500 bars was created because a fan had asked me to do a 400 bar track. I like to over deliver. I will be doing a series of compilations until my next album, because I was inactive during the years of 2008/2009.” says the emcee. “I was handling real life stuff, and I feel kind of bad about neglecting my fans by not releasing music during that time. But I want them to completely understand my path before I drop another album.”
Psalm One got a lot of love coming up in hip-hop. Even though she still had to show and prove herself to the masses in order to get the love that she received at the time and still gets to this day.
“Hip-hop becomes very competitive, very quickly. Sometimes it even overshadows the music itself. For those reasons, making music with others can sometimes be a challenge. I’m kind of a hippie when it comes to my music, I don’t think of making it as a boxing match.” says the emcee “I get respect because I’m dope and I give respect. But being a female in a male dominated industry is something I am never allowed to forget”.
Having started her career in the battle circuit, Psalm One was target for many of her opponents being as she was often the only female participating in the battles.
“I earned my stripes battling, because that’s what true emcee’s do. I’ve won and I’ve lost. It helped, I think carve my image as not just some girl trying to do this. I do, do this and I am this. It ensures my respect” says Psalm about her history in the battle circuit. “A lot of rappers these days are too afraid to break a nail, and not just the female ones”.
Having battled on the stages of Scribble Jam which was, at one point a very large hip-hop festival that showcased Emcee, DJ, Bboy/Bgirl battles and more. Psalm faced some very worthy opponents while battling at that time. Even though Scribble Jam is now a thing of the past, battling in today’s day is still very present in hip-hop. Thanks in part to a battle circuit known as “Grindtime Now”.
“The format is different, much different than say a Scribble Jam, but so what? Some people may have a problem with it but I don’t. There are some real rappers battling in the Grindtime format. In everything you have dopeness and you have wackness. That’s hip-hop” Says Psalm about the Grindtime Battle Circuit.
Being an independent music artist is tough, being a women in a male dominated independent music scene is even tougher. Psalm stays pushing on and just doing her, which is what a lot of artists fail to do in today’s time. With the way the music scene is, especially the independent music scene, a lot of artists get caught up in the dream of chasing the lifestyle of being a muscian.
“The state of music, and the business of it is in chaos right now. I feel that most people chasing a certain lifestyle (through music) won’t be around as long as an artist like myself, so I don’t sweat it.” Says the artist about the current state of music. “What needs to change is what has always needed to change. The corny, formulaic garbage that clogs the airwaves. The competitive nature of making the dopest song, not who has the more famous stylist. I think the industry will continue to evolve as long as artists continue to break through with things that are real to them”.
Within the world of hip-hop it seems as though everyone is a lyricist, which in all reality is true. There just are certain people that are actually good at it, compared to the rest who make attempts at it. It’s hard to sound original with so many people trying to put out music.
“I try to change the way I technically approach new music all the time. I believe it helps with writer’s block. However, with all music (and I think many artists do this) I try to see how the piece makes me feel. I play the music at a loud, offensive volume and I let my mind swim in it.” Says the Psalm about how she approaches her projects she works on. “I am able to rap in a lot of different styles, so I try to just chill out before choosing a starting off point. I’m gonna stop here though. I know a lot of shark head cats are trolling these interviews for pointers!!!”.
Last year the entire Rhymesayers Entertainment family and the rest of the hip-hop and music world received devastating news. Michael “Eyedea” Larsen had passed away. A true one of a kind, gifted individual whom Psalm was close with.
“R.I.P, I miss him. He taught me to take care of my voice. He still encourages me to keep taking risks both musically and just for myself.” Said Psalm about how Eyedea influenced her. “He told me I had a beautiful voice, and I know he believed in my music. He always grilled me on my vocal warm-ups. I never prepare for a show without thinking about him. We love you, Mikey”.
Be sure to keep up to date with Psalm One and the rest of the Rhymesayers Entertainment crew. You can check out www.rhymesayers.com for more information about upcoming tours/shows, releases and videos of Psalm One and the rest of the crew.
Be sure to follow Psalm One on twitter at www.twitter.com/psalmone and check out her website www.psalmone.tv where you can download her “Woman at Work” series as well as more music and videos from her.
Psalm One Feat. Del The Funkee Homosapien “Ginsu Knives”
Headliner : Join Forces / Japan Benefit Show
Day Of Show Ticket Price : $10.00
Venue : Red Owl
Address : 2155 E. University, Tempe AZ 85281 Click Here For Map
With Special Guests : Writers Guild * The Insects * Avenue Of The Arts Crew * Cut Throat Logic
Door Time : 8:00 PM
Age Restrictions : 21+
About : Benefit Show for the relief efforts going on in Japan after a 9.0 Magnitude Earthquake hit 81miles off the coast of Japan on March 11th.
The earthquake triggered fires and caused severe damage to buildings, leaving five million households without electricity and 1 million without water. Early assessments indicate that more than 2,500 houses have collapsed completely, with 2,500 more damaged.
In the first 24 hours, the Japanese Red Cross dispatched 62 response teams. These medical relief teams – made up of about 400 doctors, nurses and support staff – are already providing assistance in affected areas through mobile medical clinics, as well as assessing the damage and needs of the communities affected.
More than 300,000 people who were evacuated before the tsunami struck have been housed in temporary centers set up in schools and public buildings where the Red Cross has distributed upwards of 30,000 blankets.
The world of hip-hop is a brutal one, especially the underground/independent scene. Ron Braunstein who is better known to the world of rap as Necro has paved himself a path in the scene of independent hip-hop for quite a while now, since the early to mid-nintey’s. Now, the artist is expanding his talents into acting and directing as well.
Necro came up in Brooklyn, New York in the 80’s which was also where he was born. His music adventures started off early when he was part of a metal band called “Injustice”. But over time the emcee dove into the pool of hip-hop which he was influenced by his older brother Ill Bill. That was around 1988, and at that point Necro wasn’t well, Necro. His alias name at the time was Mad Mooney.
The emcee has had a lengthy career, with six full lengthy albums released since the year 2000 and two other EP’s prior to that. Plus a handful of previously unreleased freestyles and demos that came out shortly after his debut full length “I Need Drugs”. His latest offering to the world is a record he titled “DIE!”.
“At the time I was watching Uncle Howie die in front of my eyes and it fucked me up a lot. It made it very difficult to release this record because Howie meant a lot to me, and he still does. R.I.P HOWIE” says Necro about how the new album was named and what influenced it.
If you’ve listened to Necro, Ill Bill, or Non-Phixion in the past then you’re familiar with who Uncle Howie is. Necro’s older brother Ill Bill founded “Uncle Howie Records” in 1998. Necro himself owns and operates “Psycho+Logical-Records” in 1999 which has since released approximately 23 albums and grossed quite a bit financially.
“It feels good to do your own thing and know that you are original and have never ripped anyone off. I follow my instincts on what to release artistically, no one has balls in this game. Everyone is so PG.” Said the artist about how he feels about the current scene in hip-hop.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/Gage805/Necro6.jpg”>
Necro has been at the top of his producing game for quite a while. He started making beats in the early part of the 90’s. He has produced for Non-Phixion, Cage, Sabac Red, Goretex, Raekwon and many more. The first few albums that Necro put out on his label were all produced by himself. He also produced 7 tracks off of Non-Phixion’s debut album “The Future is Now” and produced what many would call Cage’s best track “Agent Orange”.
“Each phase is a process and it takes time and dedication. You can’t be this dope without putting in hard work.” Said Necro. “Nothing comes easy, and I have spent a long time perfecting my beats and production”.
Now days everyone is a producer/emcee/manager in the hip-hop scene. There aren’t too many people out there now that are strictly fans. Hip-hop has been straying away from it’s roots, some say that change is a good thing others will strongly disagree.
“The future is looking better for myself, I can’t speak fo someone else” said the emcee about the current outlook on hip-hop.
There isn’t a single artist out right now that is as brutal with lyrics and production as Necro. Some have tried, and many have failed. With tracks like “The Most Sadistic” “Gory Days” “Fuckin Head Split” and “I Need Drugs”. Necro has claimed the throne as king of brutal rap.
“I am the most violent and brutal when compared to anyone. Because my shit is brutal and technical, which is more scary when it’s done intelligently.” said the emcee. “Like an alien life force coming to kill all the humans, for me it’s creative mixed with life aggression”.
Necro has already made a name for himself with his numerous solo projects and his production talents to many others. The Brooklyn born rapper isn’t showing any signs of slowing down though. 2011 is going to be a big year if everything works out correctly for the artist. He’s planning on releasing 3 albums this year alone.
Violence, death, and horror are all very present in the music that Necro puts out. The artist has many inspirations that attribute to the way the final product is presented to the masses.
“Lately, Randy Couture has inspired me a lot. Oscar De La Hoya, and pretty much anyone that has had to overcome a struggle or worked hard to achieve something amazing”. Stated Necro about who he’s been drawing influence from recently.
Necro’s talents have been based in music for a few decades now. But over the last couple years the rapper has expanded his reach and dipped into the acting scene a bit. Does this mean that Necro is gonna pursue acting over music? Probably not.
“I have been paying dues for a good 2+ years now and have built up a decent resume. I have shot some student films and my first indie role in the movie called “The Super” and some other slams. I am just going to keep pushing until I’m big time” Said the artist about his acting career.
So keep an eye out for Necro on the big screen and keep an ear out for new music coming from him, as there is a lot to be expected in the coming months. Be sure to go to www.necroproduct.com and stock up on your merchandise as well.
Follow Necro on twitter.com/Necro_is_God
Necro - Gory Days from the album “Gory Days”
Necro & Ill Bill - Our Life