T.I. & Young Jeezy - Travis County Expo Center - May 12, 2006

Whatchu know about that?!? Part of the Central Texas Springfest... T.I. and Young Jeezy are comin' to the Travis County Expo Center on May 12th! That's my brother's birthday! I guess I'll be in Houston that weekend!

Daum ticket's are 'spensive! Come on... my baby momma don't need those Louis Vuittons... and I don't need those 24 inch rims... shit... "they spinnin'... they spinnin'"

Hey I know all about that!

More info:

Southern rapper T.I. debuted with a 2001 full-length that earned moderate attention for its single, "I'm Serious," featuring additional vocals from Beenie Man and production from the Neptunes. A Georgia native, he signed to Arista and delivered I'm Serious in October 2001. Though the album charted, the single failed to generate any action. Through 2003's Trap Muzik and the following year's Urban Legend, the MC became a real force and scored a handful of major hits. King followed in 2006, which was released within a few days of the opening of his big-screen debut in ATL.

Hip Hop on Hump Day - Tambaleo - April 26, 2006

There have been rumbling that Krunkaoke was gone... but I didn't want to hear it! Thought I'd check out Tambaleo since this is National Karaoke Week and to my chagrin... I find that Krunkaoke is no more... BUT wait! The new kids on the block are DJ Mike Swing and Tee Double! I'm feeling much better now... especially since my lack of breakfast isn't really agreeing with me! ugh! So now it's Hip Hop on Hump Day every Wednesday nights!

Chingo Bling - H & H Ballroom - May 7, 2006

Chingo de Mayo! Dude... some creative advertising company really out did themselves on this one... :) Chingo Bling along with the whole crew... Stunta, Capone, South Coast, El Criminal, Ice and Skor & I.T. will be at H & H Ballroom on May 7th. You can pick up presale tickets at Turntable Records for 10 bones.

So if you have a turntable that you haven't used in a while... and the last time you used it... it wasn't very good to you... and 2 years later it popped up again... would you give it a spin?

More info:

Chingo Bling is a Chicano rapper from Houston, Texas. He's been featured in an MTV documentary about Houston rap and is known for his colorful style and also for selling tamales out of the trunk of his car. Chingo Bling was also recently featured with Nelly and Paul Wall on a remix of Nelly's "Grillz" song. He was also featured in Chamillionaire's video for "Turn it up", and he was recently featured in Pepsi's Yahoo! "Mic Pass". He signed a deal with Asylum Records.

Chingo Bling graduated from Trinity University with a BA in business administration, and is CEO and founder of the record label Big Chile Entertainment.

Devin the Dude - The Back Room - April 30, 2006

Woah! Devin the Dude is gonna hit The Back Room! Awesome! Along with DJ Rapid Ric and the Whut It Dew family... all on April 30th... daum... this is starting to be a great weekend! Whut with Eeyore's Birthday Party... the Slam-off!... and now Devin! Pass that blunt over Devin! Whut! Whut!

From Wikipedia:

Devin the Dude (born Devin Copeland, is a Houston-area rapper. Though relatively well-known among the underground hip-hop community during the mid-to-late 1990s, Devin did not achieve mainstream success until his breakout performance on the single F*** You on Dr Dre's 2001 album. Since then, The Dude has released two albums, Just Tryin to Live, and To Tha X-treme. Devin has worked with numerous artists in the hip-hop industry, ranging from The Roots and De La Soul to Xzibit and Jake the Snake and Nas. He was also a member of the southern rap groups "Odd Squad" and "Facemob."

Besides sex, relationships, smoking marijuana, partying, and conscious or proverbial themes, much of Devin's work is also light-hearted and comically self-deprecating.

The Roots - Stubb's - June 2, 2006

Ebun and Anjali have been harping at me to get off my ass and put this up... we'll here ya go guys! The Roots are coming! Effin yea! When? June 2nd! Where? Stubb's! Why? Cuz Austin's gotta get love too! How? Must I spell it out for you guys! And what about the bonus DVD?!? Did you say Blackalicious too? Daum! Time to get blown!

More info:

Though popular success has largely eluded the Roots, the Philadelphia group showed the way for live rap, building on Stetsasonic's "hip-hop band" philosophy of the mid-'80s by focusing on live instrumentation at their concerts and in the studio. Though their album works have been inconsistent affairs, more intent on building grooves than pushing songs, the Roots' live shows are among the best in the business.

Rhythm Roots All-Stars - The Parish - May 4, 2006

Peep this guys... another Scion event is coming to Austin! And you know what that means... free show!!! So Rhythm Roots All-Stars are headlining the event at The Parish on May 4th... along with Austin's own Blaze... and also Aloe Blacc. As always... go and RSVP here!

I wonder how all this translates into car sales?!? Who cares right... free show!!! :)

More info:

The 10-day Road Trip, promising to be a 21st century Kerouac-esque adventure, kicks off May 1st in Los Angeles when renowned street artists David Choe, Saber, Kempton Parker, Sam Flores, Matt Gordan and Ryan Shook hit the road with a busload of funk musicians following right behind. En route, the street artists will stop in various cities to create one of a kind pieces on desolate highway billboards while the Rhythm Roots All-Stars play venues in selected cities, including San Diego (5/2), Austin (5/4) and New Orleans (5/7). The tour also makes stops in El Paso and Dallas. A videographer, photographer and two journalists will be on hand to document the paint-soaked, amped-up journeys of these traveling artists.

The Road Trip finishes with a bang as it rolls into New Orleans on May 6th for Jazz Fest 2006. To end things on an unforgettable high, additional artists, including the infamous Femi Kuti, will collaborate with the Rhythm Roots All-Stars for a grand finale performance event. All proceeds from the events, including ticket sales, are donated to Habitat for Humanitys’, Tipitina’s Foundation (http://www.tipitinasfoundation.org/), a non-profit organization dedicated to uplifting the music community of New Orleans.

Killah Priest - Red Eyed Fly - April 21, 2006

Remember when I said that Wu-Tang was hitting Austin in a big way this year?!? So this Friday, April 21st, Killah Priest will be hitting Red Eyed Fly hard! Definitely promoting his upcoming album "The Offering".... Also performing will be M.O.S (Master of Self) and Notion.

Hope everyone had a good Easter! I spent mine with my buddy Vikas for his bday... at an Indian "strip club"... no nudity... so imagine a cross between ISA (Indian Students Association) talent show and Bollywood movie... good times! :)

From vh1.com:

Killah Priest returned to rapping in 1995, appearing on several Wu projects. All of his cameos were noteworthy, but his role on Liquid Swords earned special attention. By the end of 1996, he formed his own side project, the Sunz of Man. In 1997, GZA suggested to Geffen that they sign Killah Priest, and the label took his advice. Killah worked on the album with True Master and 4th Disciple, two producers associated with the Clan. The resulting album, Heavy Mental, was dense with religious imagery and filled with evocative sounds. It received excellent reviews upon its March 1998 release and was a respectable commercial success, debuting at number 24 on the pop charts. Killah Priest issued his second album, View from Masada, in the spring of 2000, further bolstering his status as one of the most compelling solo artists in the Wu-Tang stable.

Slam-off! - Paramount Theatre - April 29, 2006

So you know about the regular Slams at Ego's on Wednesdays, but this one is the Slam-off! at the Paramount Theatre. It's gonna be on April 29th. Should definitely be a good show if you've been meaning to go and check it out but just haven't. Go and check what it's really all about!

From austinslam.com:

Slam-off! @ THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE. Tickets are $12 and they go on sale Monday at the Paramount, Waterloo Records, Pinky's, and www.gettix.net. The Slammers? Genevieve Van Cleve ... Christopher Michael ... Andy Buck ... Zell Miller III ... Da'Shade ... Shannon Leigh ... Erin ... Big Poppa E ... Tony Jackson ... Christopher Lee ... Ohio Jake ... Krissi Reeves ....

Interview: Mirage

We recently had the chance to get with local artist Mirage... thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule man! Here's what he had to say...

Can you give your fans a quick bio of yourself?

Im Mirage I am a native of Austin Texas. A Founding member of Kinetic Entertainment and C.E.O of MelodicScience Recordings. I have done 2 albums (Rhythm Gumbo, and Bonafide) and im working on a 3rd. I have done 1 EP which went national on GoodVibe Records back in 2000 called L.I.A.R and I have done 3 mixtapes (Formula 512, The Other Side Of Texas vol. 1 and 1.5). I am a soulhop artist and a graduate of Prairie View A&M University.

Which is your latest CD? and how do you think it differs from your previous works?

The album that I am working on right now is self-titled M.I.R.A.G.E it will be released on MelodicScience Recordings in the fall hopefully. The big difference with this project is that I am trying to break out of this box that some people have attempted to put me in. From my last cd I have heard a lot of titles being thrown around concerning my sound (positive, safe rap, old school etc), and that kind of made me work harder to break out of any pre-conceived notions that any previous friends (not fans) had of my music. On my previous work I have had one maybe 2 producers that I worked with per project with L.I.A.R I worked with Tee Double only on my last album BONAFIDE I worked primarily with Arson Optics. On M.I.R.A.G.E I am working with at least 7 different producers I have 11 songs done as we speak and I have worked with different producers for almost every song that I have done. I have production from Arson Optics, Element 7D, Ivan Ho, Young Nick, Mr. Cree of Supastar Dj’s, Maxwell Covosier, D. Powers, and Dj La Di Da. It is really interesting how they all touch different parts of my repertoire with their music

What gives you inspiration and how does that transpire into your music?

At this point my inspiration is life. Day to day things such as going to work, paying bills, being with my friends and family, taking care of your kids, making my way in this life and what the average person does to make it. I am a firm believer in the fact that people listen to music for few reasons, 1) To dance or have a festive atmosphere. 2) For feelings that it provokes (good, bad, mad, happy, sad, love, motivated). 3) I also think that music is useful tool to educate. It transpired into my music by affecting my content since my voice is my instrument. On a more personal note I drew inspiration from the lack of recognition that I get as an artist, I have the proverbial chip on my shoulder when it comes to being an emcee.

Which artists inspire you the most? and why?

In the modern time I’m loving what im hearing from Sa Ra, Raphael Saddiq, T.I., Kanye West, Scarface, Twista and almost anything that Outkast does. I also draw inspiration from my peers such as Tee Double, Bavu Blakes, Young Nick, Element 7D, Arson Optics, PoP and D. Powers. In the realm of “old school” artist, Donny Hathaway, Roy Ayers, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, Al Green, James Brown, Rufus Thomas and the list goes on and on. These artist are so real to me, not in the sense of over doing it to prove they are “real” but they just feel so natural that it is hard to not get into these artist.

What has kept you in Austin? especially since it's only been recently that Houston has blown up.

Well I have considered leaving many times, don’t get it twisted and I am still considering the benefits of expanding to other markets. But what has kept me here is personal reasons, I really felt like I needed to be here for my family, I have a younger brother that will be graduating from high-school this spring and I wanted to be here guide him through this time in his life. Also some of the elders in my clan have fallen sick here in the last few years. Also I have a great base of support and help here in Austin, im from here so you know home is where the heart is. I mean I know damn near everyone or they know me and sometimes it is not easy or smart to leave your base of operation. Im Austin 78723 till its over.

How do you see the scene in Austin? and where do you see it going?

Well let me give you the good and the bad. The bad, there is a lot of cliquish shit here meaning that everyone has a crew and they pretty much stay in that click and don’t move around to get with other artist. There is a lot of imitation going on here, meaning that a lot of cats in town are basing their sound on another city’s sound and culture mainly Houston there is nothing good that can come from that in the long run. There is a lack of major support of the hip hop artist here in town due to the fact that a lot of them sound like they are from somewhere else. Some people are not open to new things here in town; they are not exposed to a lot of new things outside of mtv, bet, and the radio, thus without knowing it they think that it is not of good quality if it is not in a major media outlet.

What is your favorite venue to sing at? and why?

Well I only sing in the shower (laughing) but my favorite place(s) to perform are Antones, the Mercury (now called The Parish) and Tambaleo. I love Antones because the sound is great when the soundman is on his job, The Parish because of the atmosphere and the sound its just a cool place to be. Tambaleo cause of the atmosphere it is really laid back and grown.

Can you give us 3 of your most favorite Austin artists?

I’m loving what the Gutta Gang is doing with their music and they are good cats on a personal level as well. Im a fan of Bavu Blakes, we go back to the early 90’s with our relationship and the man Element 7D he is just so versatile and he does everything he does well.

What is the best piece of advice that someone in the industry has given you?

I once had a conversation with Q-tip and Chuck D and the thing that Tip told me was to be dedicated to sharpening my craft but to also be business minded and learn all I can about the business because the artistic side will come natural if I am a true artist. What Chuck D told me was to think about the music industry in terms of making a living, not in terms of popularity. He said to not worry about being the biggest baddest rapper but being an business man. He made an interesting analogy that stuck with me he said “the music industry is like a lay-up drill in basketball practice everyone will get a shot, but you have to be ready when its your turn. So do all you can all the time not just when you get on”.

And a more light-hearted question: Have you seen a correlation between your level of success and quality of hoes?

Ahhhh you wild man, but nah I cant say that I see a correlation between the 2 cause even with moderate success at this point I can say that I deal with quality women. My uncle was a pimp and he told me back in the day “if you cant pull a 10 find a 9 that loves you. If you cant find a 9 that loves you get a 8 with a good attitude that loves you. If you cant find a 8 with a good attitude get a 7 with a good attitude and some money. If you cant find a 7 give up” and I have followed that advice since I was 15. so when I have some big time success I will be able to answer that better for you (laughing).

Any parting words?

Please just continue to support my movement MelodicScience Recording Movement visit me on myspace (www.myspace.com/miragethealbum). Keep your eyes open for my album M.I.R.A.G.E coming this fall. Also look for a live album that I did with my band last year during a residency over at the Tambaleo lounge also on MelodicScience Recordings (myspace.com/soulatx). You also have the mixtape in the streets right now called WDRT RADIO which was done by my dog Young Nick go support that it is hot, it got a very good review in the Austin Chronicle. Please, please, please come to the shows I perform at, most times they are free (u don’t have an excuse) and don’t be afraid to cop a cd for the low price of $5 I promise you will love it. Last but not least call your radio stations and request local artist such as myself cause the stations have the music they just think no one wants to hear it, so make your voice be heard.

Tha Fulz - Velvet Spade - April 15, 2006

Velvet Spade's throwin' a hip hop showcase on April 15... featuring Tha Fulz... and you can probably bet they'll be singing their hit single "Throw Them Horns Up"... honestly... I don't even know who these fulz are... but after a couple drinks I'm sure I'll be bobbin' to deez fulz...

From throwthemhornsup.com:

"THA FULZ is hip-hop group based out of the Live Music Capitol of The World, Austin Texas. Independent Record Label Owners Cory Collins and Paul Musson have written over 100 songs and have performed over 100 shows. We have been in the music business for over 15 years and holding. We are the hottest group with the #1 song in Austin "THROW THEM HORNS UP" and we've been heard by thousands of listners. We had the privilage to perform at the University of Texas for the Dean, the President, Mack Brown, the Football Team, Cheerleaders and thousands of fans. "THROW THEM HORNS UP" is in full rotation being played currently on four radio stations, including ESPN and The ZONE Radio."

Romeo Navarro Presents...

Geez... 3:20 and i'm still up... WTF!?! must have been all the redbull i drank at BBoy City 13... OMG ... what a crazy show... rolled up with Ernesto aka Jhune and Amish... chilled up top in the best view in the whole house... 'cept for the fact that someone farted at some point in the night and that sh*t stunk... it wasn't me i swear... ;)

Big up to Bavu... tha DJs... all the bboys and bgirls... f**k... props to everyone who came out! And of course props to Romeo and the crew... definitely threw it down proper!

Alright fools... if i don't get some sleep now my "computer hacking skills" are gonna suffer tomorrow... :) peace out...

Independent Music Showcase & Industry Conference - The Back Room - April 7th – 9th, 2006

Yo guys! Thomas from The Corner wrote to inform us about the Independent Music Showcase & Industry Conference at The Back Room from April 7th - 9th. Man crazy... looks like there's going to be some BIG names... Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Bun B, etc. You can get tix here and more info here.

From houstonsoreal.blogspot.com:

"The First Annual Texas Independent Music Showcase & Industry Conference will coincide with the Texas Relays – one of the biggest annual Black College events in Texas – in Austin, Texas from April 7th – 9th, 2006. The event will be held at The Back Room (2015 E. Riverside), Austin’s premier venue for hip-hop and rap events. Please join us for an action packed weekend full of parties, networking, panels, concerts and music business education. Tickets will be available at WillHustle.com and The Back Room Box Office, beginning April 1st."

BackSpin Records

Hey guys... Zach D from BackSpin Records wrote to tell us about their new record store! They carry it all but "largely devoted to hip-hop,
mainly old school and early 90's hip hop." I just recently stole my brother's Technics so I'm ready to give them a spin... hahaha! Can't wait to go and check out the store!

From backspinrecords.net:

"We carry an amazing selection of affordably priced used and new vinyl in these genres: Hip-Hop (Old School, Golden Era, Current, Indie, Underground, and Commercial Rap) Dance (Old School Tecno, Electro, Freestyle, Disco, Italo Disco, House), Jazz, Funk, Jazz-Funk, Soul, R&B, Blues, Rock (Classic, 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, Alt, Punk, New Wave, Industrial, and New Indie Releases), Soundtracks, Lounge, Exotica, Comedy, Spoken Word, and Country/Western. In general, if it is a type of music that has a beat to it, we carry it."

Kinetic Music 10 Yr Anniversary Party - Antones - April 20, 2006

Mirage from Kinetic Global and MelodicScience Recordings wrote to tell us about their bangin' 10 year anniversary party! Festivities will be at the legendary Antones... ya'll know where that is... on April 20th... and tix will be $5... so ya'll get hustlin' now and stop stealin' from your baby momma's cookie jars.

From Mirage:

"Kinetic Global and MelodicScience Recordings was founded on the needs and ideas of the recording industry and to fully tap into and expose new undeveloped talent. This event will feature various organizations from the music sector to inform area Hip Hop artist or business owners about the various outlets for musicians in Austin. To bridge gaps between artist,community and city is the key focus of this event
Come and join us in celebrating Austin Hip Hop!!."

Biggie & Tupac - Austin Hip Hop Scene - April 1, 2006

OMG!!!!! You are not going to believe this! Just heard from some friends that there will be a Biggie & Tupac reunion show right here in Austin! Show times are yet to be announced so stay tuned, I will be updating as soon as I get more info. However, I am for certain that the show will be tomorrow, April 1st, so keep your day open!

I guess all those rumors of Tupac's Machiavellian death have proved to be true!

Man you better not miss this show!