LOCALS ONLY
On Wednesday, local hip-hop fans made their way to the Fox Theatre in Boulder to see who would represent Colorado at this year’s Scribble Jam Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio. The decent-sized crowd was treated to performances from up and coming local artists Catch Lungs, Purpose and On Point, with C-Rayz Walz finishing the night. But really what most everybody were interested in was the battles.
While the production battle proved how much talented producer we have here (there wasn’t one subpar beat played), the MC battle left much to be desired. While a handful of unknowns and name MCs like Spoke-In-Words and Ancient Mith (aka Osama Bin Rappin’) participated in the battle, it seemed to be an off-night for everyone. Rapper Eckho won the MC battle portion of night, mostly because he kept his composure, kept flowing and got the crowd on his side. It didn't hurt that the MCs he battled had a tough time coming up with things to say about him.
The production battle was much more heated. Producers like DMD and Joe Meezy dropped amazing beats to start in their rounds, capturing the crowds, but they had a tough time following up with beats just as good as their first. Improv and Yonnas (of The Pirate Signal) battled in the final, with Improv coming out on top. Here's some of Improv’s sounds.
BET’s Rap City Gets Cancelled
According to Allhiphop.com, BET’s longest running show, Rap City, will air its last episode on October 29. The hip-hop program was launched in 1989 by Alvin Jones and hosted by comedian Chris “The Mayor” Thomas. Thomas was replaced by Prince DaJour in the early '90s, and in 1994, Joe Claire and Big Lez took over.
The duo left the show, at its height, in 1999, at which time Big Tigger took over and introduced “The Booth,” where guest rappers would come in and spit a verse live. After Tigger left in 2005, the show struggled to keep its audience, thanks to other video shows such as 106 & Park, basically showing the same videos and showcasing the same artists. Rap City place in the history books is cemented as the longest running hip-hop program, clocking in at nineteen years. The show will be replaced by a new video show called The Deal.
Kanye West HBO Show On the Shelf
Although Kanye has been hyping his forthcoming Curb Your Enthusiasm-type of show for HBO for a while. Looks like the pilot may end up being shelved for a while. Writer and producer Larry Charles, who was working on the show, recently told ComingSoon.net that the show may be a bit too much for the network.
“It was really good, but again I think it was too hardcore for HBO,” Charles said. “Also, HBO's management shifted, but HBO doesn't have a good track record when it comes to black shows, and I felt like that may have had something to do with it also. I don't see a lot of shows about that experience at all. This was very entertaining, and we showed it to a lot of people. People gave it a very good response, and it seems to be on the shelf right now. The management has shifted at HBO so we're waiting to see.”
In the meantime, Kanye is putting the finishing touches on his new album, 808s & Heartbreak, which he now plans to release sometime in November instead of the December as previously announced.
T-Pain Battles his Vocoder
Music enthusiasts continually harp on T-Pain for his incessant use of a vocoder in his music, suggesting that he’s hiding his singing skills. But in a new skit for FunnyOrDie.com, T-Pain pretty much makes fun of himself and his use of his vocoder. Check out the video:
NEW RELEASES
T.I. Paper Trail Grand Hustle/Atlantic
T.I. may have had major legal troubles in the last year or so, but it didn’t affect his steez at all. Paper Trail picks up where King left off: Trunk rattling beats, slick flows and an attitude that’s unwavering. Any fan of T.I. will enjoy this album.Murs Murs for President Warner Bros.
Murs has been an underground hip-hop phenom for years and has never been afraid to rep L.A and the West Coast. Although he’s is a West Coast MC, he hardly sounded like it until now. On this album, his major label debut, he attempts to make his sound more accessible. Snoop Dogg and will.i.am both appear on the album, along with more G-Funk sounding production. Although's there are still a few gems on the album, but it’s not like the Murs sound we’ve come to enjoy.Heltah Skeltah D.I.R.T. Duck Down Music
Before Sean Price blew up the underground hip-hop scene, he was known as Ruck of the Boot Camp Clik group, Heltah Skeltah, alongside Rock. After a ten-year hiatus, the duo has reunited for a new album which shows they still have their chemistry. The album features hardcore, underground production, fit for the pair’s hard-hitting rhyme styles, and cameo appearances from Smif-n-Wessun, Buckshot and other Boot Camp artists.-- Quibian Salazar-Moreno
