"Who Am I?" EP from Rashad Street Drops Today!!

What's up folks? This has been a big month for Jackson artists releasing new material. We got James Crow with The Black Codes EP and 5th Child with his self-titled album starting May off strong.

We continue a strong May with the release of the "Who Am I?" EP from our man Rashad Street. This EP is the second is a trilogy. A message on his bandcamp page says: The second installment of the trilogy series by Rashad Street. This EP is a certified "Classic"!! I do this for the love, I do this for the people!!! I Am Rashad Street! Enjoy!!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD "Who Am I?"

Check back with us as we will have a full review of the EP as well as an exclusive interview with Rashad Street. We also owe you a full review of 5th Child's new joint, which is coming soon, promise.

New 5th Child Album Out Now!!!

Just a quick update today, but it is big, important news.

On Friday, May 13, Jackson's 5th Child released his new album, 5th Child. This is 5th's most accomplished project to date, and he has been very excited about its release. For the next few days, 5th is offering the album for a free download. Don't sleep!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY OF 5th CHILD

Since the album is free, and you are still feeling the need to support 5th, visit his merchandise store for more music, t-shirts, and more.

CLICK HERE FOR 5th's ONLINE STORE

And, finally, check out some local press 5th got a couple weeks ago in the Jackson Free Press with the lead up to the release of the album.

CLICK HERE FOR THE JFP ARTICLE

That's all for now. Check back soon for a full review of the album and an in-depth interview with 5th Child. Also, be listening for details of an upcoming record release event. You won't want to miss it.

Interview with Back to Basics May Artist Marcel P. Black

On Saturday, May 14, Back to Basics brings in the Away Team for a very special Back to Basics. All of the artists on this month's edition are from the great state of Louisiana, our neighbor to the West. Click the link on the right for the full line up and more information.

One of the artists we are honored to have joining us is Marcel P. Black from Baton Rouge. Marcel brings a strong message and an amped up stage show that reps hip hop to the fullest. I got a chance to sit ask him a few questions to get a better look at the man, his music, his influences, and his thoughts on hip hop culture. Check it out.

1. How do you feel about coming to Jackson?

I am extremely excited about coming to Jacktown. I can’t say I’ve spent a lot of time in Jackson, but the time I have spent there, I felt very much at home. Jackson is a soulful city, and I like to consider myself a soulful person, as well as an artist that makes soulful music. The food is awesome, and the people are very friendly.

2. Talk about the style of your music. What's your message?

My style is very straight forward. Street. Smart. Soulful. Spiritual. Pro-Black. I’m a college grad who still tries to read a book week, so you can say it’s educated. When I was younger, I ran the streets a bit, so that definitely has a profound effect on my style. I try to take complex concepts and articulate them in an everyman-esque dialect.

As far as my message, If I could describe it in one word, it would be “Freedom”...

3. What are your top five music artists of all time (any genre)?

In no particular order... (Hip-Hop) Jay-Z, Andre 300, Rakim, Biggie Smalls, Mos Def

(Other) Foreign Exchange, Michael Jackson, Cee-Lo Green, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield

4. Talk some about 1Luv. What's your next project on deck?

“1Luv: A Hate Story” was basically about my love hate relationship with Hip-Hop... While writing it, I didn’t really listen to anything but the instrumentals. For the last 8 months, I’ve been studying Hip-Hop literature from authors such as Jeffery Ogbar, Dave Charnas, John Potash, Jeff Chang, Nelson Gorge, & M.K. Asante Jr., just to name a few, and it really had a profound influence on my writing. The ep was dedicated to my big cousins who taught me to rap, and put me on conscious Hip-Hop respectively when they were younger, but grew older and stopped listening to it all together. My goal was to make some music so ill that they couldn’t deny, that made them feel that same feeling they had that made them teach me about the culture.

The song “1Luv” was inspired by the 22nd Division of the Black Spades led by Afrikaa Bambaata & eventually turned into the Universal Zulu Nation, as well as the Nation of God’s & Earths. Both were extremely instrumental to ceasing the NYC gang violence in the 70’s, by preaching knowledge of self, peace, & positivity. I wanted to make a record that was catchy, easy on the ear, but still had a socially relevant message, one that said “Let’s come together and build, instead of tearing ourselves down.” The Black on Black crime in New Orleans & Baton Rouge was so high in 2010 that at one point, New Orleans was #1 in homicides per capita, & Baton Rouge was #5. It was a called to end the genocide and senseless violence in South Louisiana specifically, but the theme is universal.

The second part of this project will be titled “iLuv H.E.R. Too”. For this project I’ve been studying Hip-Hop that came out between ’86-’96 for the last 2 months. It is deeply influenced by Common, Rakim, KRS-1, & DJ Premier. My goal with this project is to really raise the bar on lyricism. On Common’s “I Used to Love H.E.R.” which came out in 94, he raps about what he loved, and what he missed about h.e.r. Well 17 years later, my goal is similar, but more than anything, I wanna display what I miss as a Hip-Hop head. Both projects were completely produced, mixed, & mastered by my cousin J-Philly out of Chicago... Guest features for the upcoming project include Baton Rouge’s Box & Il Duce so far, New Orleans emcee Elespee so far, with scratches by DJ Automatik. I gotta mega “1Luv” remix coming soon as well with several different artists from both B.R. & N.O. The “1Luv EP” is available now, and “iLuv H.E.R. Too” will drop late June or mid July.

5. What is the most important thing about yourself that you want Jackson to know?

That when I say “1Luv” I really mean it. I’m very humble and eager to build with & learn from others. I love people, & I love Hip-Hop with a passion. That I’m looking forward to networking with anyone with similar interests so we can better our collective situations in any and every capacity. That I plan to cut the fool when I get on the stage.

CLICK HERE TO COP MARCEL P. BLACK'S 1 LUV: A HATE STORY

Join Us Saturday night at Suite 106 for Back to Basics: Away Team Edition. See link on the right of the page for more information. Peace.

Artist-to-Artist: ZeeDubb and Ulogy

On Thursday May 12, hip hop invades Vicksburg, MS for the Vicksburg Hip Hop show. In what promises to be a groundbreaking night for the city, a number of Vicksburg artists join forces with some Jackson artists to give the city a rare glimpse into the world of independent Mississippi hip hop.

Our guy ZeeDubb is behind the show, and is headlining the evening. In advance of the show, we put ZeeDubb together with Ulogy (also performing at the show) for our next installment of the Artist-to-Artist Series, where we have two artists interview each other.

Click on the link on the right of this page for more information.

If you haven’t yet, get the VICKSBURG HIP HOP SHOW PODCAST BY CLICKING HERE.

First, Ulogy has some questions for ZeeDubb:

1) How did your name come to be?

My name came from my pure laziness of adolescents. When I use to kick it with my cousin in Michigan or Florida (wherever we may be visiting), we use to rhyme and I looked up to him. Dude could rhyme all day without stopping. He called him self Jay Dubb so I called myself ZeeDubb...my first name was actually Zee The Apostle, back when I rapped in churches lol.

2) We want everyone to enjoy our music that will do so, but if you had to describe a ZeeDubb audience, how would you identify them?

A ZeeDubb audience would be a mixture of everybody. No matter what the race or age, my audiences are fans of good Hip-Hop music. But as of right now, I prefer to not perform around my type of audience. I like to perform around "swag" enthusiasts and skinny jean rocking grown men. Why? Because I don't like to talk about anybody behind their back. lol.

3) Do you have any goals for your involvement with hip-hop?

My goals are to continue this great INDIE movement in Hip-Hop right now! I love to see great artists coming out on their own, pushing their own music, making themselves a demand and I want to be that demand.

4) Name one thing that you feel that hip-hop is missing locally?

I think that the Hip-Hop scene, locally and nationwide, is missing balance. There's no balance in what's being heavily promoted, and I feel bad that no matter how deep, or profound, or creative my songs can be, I'll be out-shined by some dude who can make a dumb phrase like "racks on racks on racks..." It's 2011 and n***as is still rapping with auto-tune? Go lay in a grave with Osama!

We need more spontaneous actions. We need to just set up the turntables and speakers and hook up the mic and just rock anywhere! Middle of the park, outside the malls, next to Subway, anywhere! And DJs! Please support more local artists! I know there's a million to choose from, but weed out the garbage, weed out the radio clones, and when you hear someone good, spin their music!

5) In what areas musically do you feel you need growth in, and what areas are you most comfortable with? (Ex. Areas like the dynamics of the stage show, recording, etc.)

I've yet to feel comfortable about anything I've done musically in the past 2 years. I can definitely see how much I've changed and grown but there's no once that I go back and listen to a new recording and I'm happy about the way I rapped it. There's hasn't been one time I've gotten off a stage and felt that I performed the best way possible. Maybe I should have done another song, one less song, one more song, I'm never comfortable. Which is fine. I tend to stray away from something when I get to comfortable with it.

Now, ZeeDubb has questions for Ulogy

1. Why the name, "Ulogy"?

"Ulogy" comes to be from the Greek word "eulogia" which means to "speak well of" or "well spoken". That's how the term "eulogy" gets used for what happens at funerals. At its root, "logos" is there which speaks to God's ability to speak things into existence. We also have the power to affect outcomes by what we say, and because I have always been strong in speech, I exercise my right to bend words to my will.

2. What artist (of any genre) inspires you the most?

Not sure if there is any one artist that inspires me most, but since you have forced me down this shoot of questioning, I will say Big Daddy Kane. In his reign, he wasn't afraid to use big words in his flawless cadence, and you could always understand what he meant by the context. I also believe that he was one the first to turn hip-hop toward more skillful and intelligent wordplay.

3. I hear there is a collaboration with 7even:thirty on your next project. What's that about?

The most direct collaboration between us on my forthcoming album is a track called "Roller Coasters With Smoking Holsters", and in the track we hunt down stereotypical rapper-types and torture them {insidious}. Aside from that, there are some other projects coming down the VIntage Noize pipeline.

4. What makes your music different from the million other Hip-Hop artists out there?

I've been told that the tone of my voice cuts through tracks powerfully without overkill, so I guess that's unique. My subject matter should definitely set me apart from most in that I like my content can shift into many directions because of my love for classical writing. I also seem to have a unique brand of humor that comes out in the music without my trying.

5. Does being a teacher have a great impact on what you rap about?

Certainly. It makes me recognize the worth one must have to be in a position to say things before other people. It is a distinction to be an orator at any capacity, and many abuse the privilege.

(Bonus Question) Will you and ZeeDubb ever drop a collaborative project?

If so, it won't be until after I have had more time/opportunities to expand my rap base.

That's all for now. If you missed it the first time, click HERE to get the ZeeDubb/Ulogy Collaboration track "Fanfare."

New Podcast! And info on a huge first half of May.

In the next two weeks, there are four big hip hop shows going down in Mississippi. Here is some info on all three.

First, after you kick it with your moms next Sunday, come out to the North Midtown Arts Center at 121 Millsaps Ave. in Jackson for "The Blast," a monthly party hosted by DJ Scrapp Dirty. This month's includes performances by Skipp Coon, Kamikaze (one of his last solo hip hop performances ever), and Big K.R.I.T, as well as a number of DJs spinning a wide variety of music including underground hip hop, house, rare, groove, and much more. Admission is $10 and goes to Women of Words for Literacy. Click the link on the right for more information.

On May 12,our man ZeeDubb, of Back to Basics Podcast fame, will be hosting and headlining The Vicksburg Hip Hop show at The Upper End Lounge in Vicksburg, MS (1306 Washington Street). This is a rare opportunity for the city of Vicksburg to experience the best of Mississippi hip hop. See the link to the right for the full line-up and more information. Everything you need for $5. Doors at 9PM.

And, if that wasn't enough, click on the link below to download the all-new podcast, the Vicksburg Show edition.

NEW PODCAST: VICKSBURG SHOW EDITION

On May 14, Suite 106 in Jackson (106 Willmington St.) is hosting the monthly hip hop series, Back to Basics. This month, we are featuring a number of our friends from the great state of Louisiana for Back to Basics: Away Team Edition. Check the link on the right for more information and the full line-up. This one should be a great time and we are looking forward to seeing our friends from the other side of the River. Doors at 9PM and $5 cover.

And finally, May 15 is the next Generation NXT concert at Dreamz in Jackson (426 Capitol Street). As always, Kamikaze and Jonasty are hosting a massive line up of independent artists, giving them a place to do their thing. See the link of the right for more information. Doors open at 6PM and it costs $10 to get in.

Artist on Artist: James Crow and 5th Child

(James Crow rockin' Back to Basics in February. Cripple Fight!)

James Crow (Herbert Brown) and 5^th Child (Stephen Brown) are not only two of Jackson’s finest hip hop artists are purveyors of the culture, but they are also brothers, members of what this particular blogger likes to call “the first family of Jackson hip hop.” They sit down and talk all of the time, but this time we made it official and got them to do another installment of our artist-on-artist interview. Find out what 5^th really thinks about haters, while hearing about James Crow’s favorite place to do the dougie.

5^th Child and James Crow will be performing this Saturday night at Suite 106 for Back to Basics April: Live Band Edition.

Click here for the most recent Back to Basics Podcast, featuring 5^th Child, James Crow, and PyInfamous.

First, James Crow has questions for baby brother, 5th Child.

James Crow: Tell us about your new project?

5^th Child: My new project is self-titled and it’s the 3rd installment of a trilogy. The first installment was Behind the Music, which was my in-depth evaluation of the music industry and the highs and lows that I experienced as an independent artist. Pianos in the Dark was the second installment in which I take the same thoroughness in evaluating myself and my personal demons and downfalls. The new album, 5th Child, is the resolution to the questions that I raised in the first two. It is my way of coaxing myself out of the depression and extreme lows that I discussed on Pianos In the Dark.

The easiest way for me to describe the trilogy is to compare it to the movie The Last Dragon. At the beginning everything is cool. I’m a humble guy who has a passion and is excelling at and everything is cool. Then life hits me hard and my credibility is threatened and I’m searching for a hero or someone to step in and save the world around me. Finally, I get “the glow” and realize that I have to accept my position as the hero I was ordained to be.

James Crow: Who are the top 3 hip hop influences to your music?

5^th Child: Jay-Z, OutKast, Common (Resurrection through Be)

James Crow: Who are the top 3 non hip hop influences?

5^th Child: Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Jean-Michel Basquiat

James Crow: You are a rarity in that you write, produce, & promote your entire catalog. What is the most difficult aspect of that?

5^th Child: Promoting my music is definitely the most difficult aspect of it. I like to think of myself as a pretty humble dude and as a rapper you’re already talking about yourself most of the time. When I’m just being Stephen its been hard in the past for me to talk on and on about 5th Child. I transform when I’m on stage but when I’m in public it feels weird to keep talking about myself like that. Plus, since the industry has become so saturated and everybody raps, it kinda feels cliché to tell people about the album that you have dropping or the show you’re doing. Certain stigmas are attached to the word “rapper,” so that guerilla marketing feels a little corny to me sometimes. But still, if you don’t feel strong enough about your product to promote it, then why should anybody else?

James Crow: Fill in the blank and expound: Hip hop will not survive the next 20 years without ___________________?

5^th Child: “Haters.” Although, I have a different outlook on the word. As Kweli said, “Reverse psychology got em’ scared to say when sh*t is wack, out of fear of being called a “hater.” Imagine that.” I don’t mean hater as in the popular interpretation of the word where you just don’t like someone because they’re successful. Nowadays if someone drops some garbage and you pull their card on it, then that makes you a hater. If that’s the case I must be a hater. But until people start speaking up and stop co-signing stuff just because its popular, the music will continue to get watered down and the “suits” will take complete control over the culture that WE made and struggled for. You have really good indie artists out right now and once the majors get hold of them and start prepackaging songs with crossover pop and R&B hooks, their pockets grow fatter and the passion in their music fades into nothing.

(5th Child at Back to Basics in February)

Now, we flip the script, and 5th has questions for big brother, James Crow.

5^th Child: Tell us where your name comes from.

James Crow: Back in ye olden days of 1998 when being a rapper wasn’t so cool, I went by the name Bullethead. That name was real lame so I wanted a change, but a change that would mean something. I wanted something that in a way represents black people’s conditions in this country over the last 100+ years. I chose James Crow because James is the “adult” version of Jim. And by the name James Crow, it’s a way of letting people know that the conditions are the same in this country as it was over a hundred years ago, only the methods by which blacks and the poor are oppressed are more refined, grown up and matured, if you will.

5^th Child: What is the story behind the song “Cripple Fight?”

James Crow: You were watching a youtube clip of two less-than-satisfactory rappers beefing with each other. I said, “Why are you watching this? It’s like two cripples fighting.” I paused for a moment, went to my notebook and wrote that song in 5 minutes. It’s obviously a satire piece. It’s what I hear when I hear certain rappers in the industry. If the shoe fits, walk it off.

5^th Child: What are the best and worst aspects of the Jackson, MS hip hop scene?

James Crow: The best is that there are more venues now than ever for artists to perform. Also, along with the entire hip hop universe now, you have a lot of artists taking the independent route, pushing their music out themselves and getting their voices heard.

The worst is definitely way too many rappers, especially the ones who have no respect for the culture locally and across the nation. In a city of about 175,000, you’ve got 90,000 rappers and 15,000 DJ’s. And out of those I bet only a few know of cats like Us From Dirrt or Illabob Cain, let alone own a copy of Grey Skies. It’s too many cats that want to rap and not enough consumers of the music. But that’s everywhere, not just Jackson.

5^th Child: You are also a connoisseur of jazz music. What jazz artist had a similar approach to their respective culture as your approach to hip hop?

James Crow: There are several. First of all, I love the way how Miles Davis rarely talked to the audience when he performed. He just played his horn and if you were able to dig it you did, and if he went over your head, so be it. He didn’t pander to the masses. Secondly, I dig how Art Blakey created a whole sound in Hard Bop that couldn’t be replicated by the “gray ladies” without truly paying homage to the African influence on jazz. Thirdly, I like how Joe Henderson could play any form and play it well. Lastly, I love how Archie Shepp, plays with this unapologetic intensity and fire as he screamed through the sax the anger of black people in the late 60’s and 70’s.

5^th Child: Fill in the blank and expound: The most interesting place that I have ever done the “dougie” is ___________________.

James Crow: With yo mama (Brooklyn Son)!

That's it for now. Come see James Crow and 5th Child, along with the king, PyInfamous, rock the stage with a live band this Saturday night at Suite 106. Doors open at 9:30 and show starts at 10:30.

If that wasn't enough, if you go to Rip the Cypher beforehand at North Midtown Arts Center, you get into Back to Basics for only $3!! That's it. A night of hip hop culture for $8 total dollars.

Who said there is nothing to do in Jackson?

Back to Basics this Saturday Night!! New Podcast!!

On Saturday April 16, we are trying something brand new for Back to Basics. We are paring up some of Jackson's best MCs with a live band put together specially for this show. It's gonna be a a chill night with an organic vibe, just rappers rockin with bass and drums, stripped down to the essence. This isn't going to be a freestyle fest (although there will be some of that). Instead, you will get to hear 5th Child, James Crow, and PyInfamous adapt their styles and songs to a unique situation. It's going to be a fun night, and you'll understand why these guys are some of the finest Jackson has to offer. Click the link in the events bar on the side for more information and to link up with the facebook event page.

In honor of this show, our man ZeeDubb hooked up a brand spanking new podcast featuring all the artists you will hear Saturday night. There is, as always, a few surprises thrown in too. On top of all that, ZeeDubb intersperses the music with a lecture by Megan Stewart on the meaning of blackness. It's some though provoking stuff. But, you have to come to the show to hear "Cripple Fight."

Click here to get the podcast. You can choose either AAC format (with pictures and track listing) or mp3 (without). You can get with this, you can get with that.Support Mississippi hip hop!!!

Coming up soon: an artist to artist interview with the brothers of the first family of Jackson hip hop, 5th Child and James Crow. Also, we'll have a full write up on 5th Child's new record and the debut record from Evan I Tribe, featuring KT, everyone's favorite guitar wielding soul brother in Jackson. Stay tuned!!!!