Author Archives: ChiefDoomsday

Staying Afloat :: Chris Conde Hits The Masses With ‘No Air (Remix)’ Video

Posted on July 6, 2018 | Leave a comment

San Antonio-based MC Chris Conde has never been one to shy away from being proud of who he is.  No pun intended, but you get more straight talk about the game from Chris Conde than you do from many of his hetero, cis peers.  In the video we get direct addressing of peoples’ unfounded fears of a gay rapper, plenty of proof that his drive and skill level has nothing to do with his lifestyle, and tons of humor on top of everything to let people know that the issues really aren’t worth the venom they normally receive.  Rather it be skateboarding, prepping wigs, walking down the street eating icees, or just doing the normal posturing associated with hip-hop, Chris Conde is here to force diversity and open-mindedness into a scene that has needed it for quite a while.

-chief

Leave a comment

Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged , , , ,

Affirmation Raps :: Poolboi Blu Keeps Up Momentum With ‘Dad Moves’

Posted on July 5, 2018 | Leave a comment

Screenshot_1

These days, it’s weird if poolboi blu doesn’t drop new music within the span of a workweek.  After being rained out for a 4th of July event, poolboi blu decided to break out his new recording setup and dive deeper into the output.  The result is the ambient infectious gem dad moves, a track that seems like a quick motivational buildup (or maybe a quick reminder of what poolboi blu is made of).  The track brings back memories of the groundwork laid in the slept on classic cloudy w/ a chance, and hopefully it will lead to more vocal work from poolboi blu on top of his already vivid production.

-chief

Leave a comment

Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged , , , , ,

Nowhere Fast :: Andrés Drops ‘SEWELL.’ Music Video

Posted on July 5, 2018 | Leave a comment

Unusuals was already impressing me with the production vibes, but lately, there’s been a metamorphosis taking place that has me wholly interested.  After some public deep diving into a range of deep influences, a handful of andrés tracks have manifested, all of which are deeply personal and introspective over deep production.  ‘SEWELL.’ has been blessed with the video treatment, with the enclosed space of a car backseat serving as visual reference to the claustrophobic nature of dealing with deep feelings of longing, especially for someone you have yet to learn more about.  The video definitely reminds me of being ready to move forward with no control of direction and nobody in the driver’s seat.  Definitely a strong and evocative piece of minimalist art… and the wardrobe decision doesn’t hurt at all.

-chief

Leave a comment

Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged , , , ,

Making Tracks :: Blastfamous USA + Blackillac Connect For ‘Pull Up’

Posted on July 3, 2018 | Leave a comment

The magic that can occur in the rare instances where you introduce old friends to new friends only for everyone to get along is hard to match.  Maybe that’s why it seemed inevitable that Zeale Rapz would find a way to link his multiple successful ventures into a single stream of dopeness.  His longtime companionship/collaborative efforts with Phranchyze, along with their mutual friendship of Gary Clark Jr., resulted in the creation of Blackillac.  Meanwhile, Zeale Rapz had forged a newer, sharper and more politically driven connection with the killer production duo of NGHT HCKLRS, resulting in the lightning fast creation and maturation of Blastfamous USA.  With both camps combining forces for the upcoming busa flock EP, it was only fitting that they signal it with a music video in the form of pull up.  The video showcases all of the key components folks need for understanding what busa flock is about : unique aesthetic, high style, banging production, quality rhymes and a sense of humor are all calling cards the crew possesses.  The connection is intriguing, and yet it makes all the sense in the world… I will definitely be keeping my eyes and ears open for more.

-chief

Leave a comment

Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Idiot Boxing :: Virgil Wolfe And Strcolctr Serve Up ‘Unlimited TV Dinners’

Posted on July 2, 2018 | Leave a comment

a3107421469_10

The influence that television has had on the last few generations is undeniable.  It has shaped our cultural context and standard frame of reference in ways that we may never return from, which isn’t inherently a bad thing.  Take, for example, the collective efforts of MC Virgil Wolfe and producer Strcolctr.  The duo recently took their love of TV from their childhood, took a direct look at how it has effected them emotional and rationally, and have poured those thoughts into the short but powerful Unlimited TV Dinners, with whip-smart ruminations on ideas like investing your time in meaningless ventures, cultural identity and more.  Don’t let the lighthearted veneer fool you, there’s some heavy lifting being done on this project.  If Unlimited TV Dinners Deluxe dropped at some point in the future, I wouldn’t be mad at that one bit.

-chief

Leave a comment

Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged , , , ,

Ballistic BoomBap :: MAD-1-ONE Presents ‘Bombz (Funeral Muzik)’ Video

Posted on June 29, 2018 | Leave a comment

San Antonio-based hip-hop artist MAD-1-ONE is back at it again.  In preparation for the July 6 release of his upcoming album Ghost of the Record Store, MAD-1-ONE connected with fellow hip-hop artist Mr. Composition, enlisting his visual skills to create a video for the first single.  Bombz (Funeral Muzik) serves as half calling card, half stern warning to anyone foolish enough to not recognize or respect what MAD-1-ONE is bringing to the table : knowledge of self, knowledge of culture, years of experience, and razor sharp bars that inspire just as much as they entertain.  The video features MAD-1-ONE and crew wandering the block, rocking in the record store, and raising spirits in the cemetery, all of which fit into the larger scope that MAD-1-ONE seems to be presenting with Ghost of the Record Store.  If the first single is any indication of what the full length holds in store, I think it’s safe to say San Antonio will have a project they can be proud of in 2018.

-chief

Leave a comment

Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Stay Fly :: Bird Peterson, BLEUBIRD And Jabrjaw Combine Forces For ‘Conflict Resolution’

Posted on June 28, 2018 | Leave a comment

Bird Peterson is officially in full rollout mode for the upcoming Infinity Molasses.  My man has been dropping singles like crazy, the latest being the super catchy Conflict Resolution.  The track is the standard, infectious Bird Peterson mix of dope drums, textured samples and a few hilarious soundbites.  For vocal duties, he’s enlisted the help of Florida underground legends BLEUBIRD and Jabrjaw to match the track energy, and all parties involved more than stand up to the challenge.  It’s nice to hear tracks that defy genre classification in this manner, as this song could easily get play in both dance clubs and hip hop circles without anyone batting an eye or questioning the placement.  With the sneak previews we’ve been given thus far, I must say that my anticipation for Infinity Molasses continues to grow and grow.

-chief

Leave a comment

Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Verbal Assault :: Crew54 & CientifiQ Drop The Long-Awaited ‘Slap Rapz 2’

Posted on June 28, 2018 | Leave a comment

a1365612446_10

There are some things in this life you can count on.  You can count on the sun to rise in the east and set in the west.  You can count on most politicians to keep their own self interests above those of their constituency.  Most importantly, you can count on Crew54 to always lace listeners with bars on bars on bars over rock solid beats.  The guys have been talking up Slap Rapz 2, a collaboration with producer CientifiQ, for quite a while, but the wait has been well worth it.  If you find yourself expecting run of the mill quality because these cats are ‘local’, go ahead and slap yourself for being shortsighted.  These tracks could fall right in line with anything currently playing on the radio, TV, and so on… the songs are structured tight, the wordplay is enticing, and the chemistry between Crew54, CientifiQ and the featured artists is volatile in the best ways.  Definitely an early contender for tops of 2018.

-chief

Leave a comment

Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, Underground Me Now

Tagged , , , ,

Taking Flight :: Poolboi Blu And J Brodsnax Reconnect For ‘Schwifty’ Video

Posted on June 26, 2018 | Leave a comment

poolboi blu may be moving forward in terms of constantly dropping new music, but that has not been at the expense of continuing to promote his recent standout EP, horseplay.  In his efforts to create a music video for each track, poolboi blu and video collaborator j brodsnax decided to delegate 3 of the project’s 6 tracks to j brodsnax.  The latest selection, Schwifty, just hit the airwaves, and it’s a psychedelic spin through prisoners in confinement still managing to find expressive and positive outlets via showing their skill in a dunk contest.  The hypnotizing track works well in tandem with the slow motion, washed out and color drenched footage, slightly hypnotizing you and making the just over 2 minute long track breeze by.  Word on the street is that the duo has one more video under their sleeves, so hopefully they unveil it for us sooner than later.

-chief

Leave a comment

Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged , , , , ,

Soul Searching :: Unusuals Talks About Love With ‘Slip Into Darkness’

Posted on June 25, 2018 | Leave a comment

a3217362804_10

It seems that all of my Texas music making peers have been putting in major work in their respective labs this summer.  Unusuals, for example, has been lacing folks with a steady stream of singles over the past couple of months, as well as livestreams of beatmaking sessions and his KZSM radio show.  The latest single, Slip Into Darkness, is a breakbeat-based exploration of longing for a loving connection (somewhat inspired by the legendary words of Mary J. Blige).  The track features a guest vocalist (Andres, and I have suspicions of whom that might be) rather than opting for the usual vocal sampling utilized by Unusuals.  It’s good to know that the folks I dig are out there exploring their feelings via their creative sides and keeping momentum flowing in the right direction.

-chief

Leave a comment

Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, Underground Me Now

Tagged , , , , , ,