I’ve mentioned it many, many times before, but I’m gonna say it again : DdotElles is not to be slept on. Recently, Lit Up AV sat down with my man to discuss what he’s been working on, how films and pop culture influence and inspire him, and what he’s got lined up for the future. This particular interview, in my opinion, captures the most what it’s like to sit down and chop it up with DdotElles on a personal level, as his personality floods out of the screen on this one.
-chief
Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, Spotlight, Underground Me Now
Tagged chief, ddotelles, lit up av, the doomsday device
YouTube video magazine Elevator just poured major validation all over The PNTHN. At the time of writing this post, the Chumbucket music video is sitting on almost 9000 views, with more than 200% likes over dislikes. For an up and coming crew, that’s pretty impressive. Let’s hope that these cats can stay humble and focused, because it looks like things are already lining up in a major way for them.
-chief
Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight
Tagged chief, chumbucket, elevator, the doomsday device, the pnthn, youtube
Austin-based director Fum Fum Ko‘s long awaited film collaboration with blakchyl and chiclopz of Mindz of a Different Kind (MDK) is now available and streaming on Facebook. No Sleep No Breaks is a heartfelt story of two creative spirits excited about an opportunity to document their art, and the anticipation of this opportunity. The film is set against the backdrop of East Austin (mostly), showcasing an area of the town that does not get the love it deserves. Definitely give the film a like and a share, check it out, and let Fum Fum Ko know what you think about it!
-chief
MC and poet Jonathan Brown has always been creatively ambitious and unafraid to take chances, but 2018 is finding the artist stepping well outside of his comfort zone to attempt taking on the responsibility of a full-time artist. In order to achieve this goal, his initial step is an Indiegogo campaign to help fund what will hopefully be his breakout release, Aggressively Vulnerable. His plan is to raise enough via crowdfunding to release the project on vinyl and CD with the inclusion of a 60-plus page insert of his poetry and spoken word selections. If you’re one that likes to be in on the ground floor of making dreams come true, this may be the campaign for you to share with your social circles and/or donate to, as it could really make a difference for someone who has earned and deserves one.
-chief
Hip-hop man of the earth SniperShot has been leaving his imprint all around the globe lately, literally. He’s recently been sharing a series of vlogs titled Guate about his adventures in Guatemala. He has been taking part in coffee-brewing, environmental exploration and restoration, general goodwill ambassadorship and playing shows. If you’ve got some time, dive in. Hip-hop affords us as many opportunities as we’re open to taking, and it’s up to us to make our dreams a reality. Sometimes, your dreams becoming a reality are lucky enough to impact others, continuing the cycle.
-chief
Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, Spotlight
Tagged chief, guate, guatemala, snipershot, the doomsday device, vlog
Blasfamous USA, in their short existence, has not been a group to shy away from issues and topics that matter. The video for their latest single, Out Here, drives that fact home by taking place in the midst of an anti-Trump rally held in Austin. The crew looks right at home among the throngs of demonstrators upset with the current political direction, and the lyrics of the song seem to almost directly reflect what you are seeing. Hopefully, the dissidence settles in due time, and Blastfamous USA continues to make bold statements in their banging music.
-chief
Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now
Tagged blastfamous usa, chief, out here, the doomsday device, trump
In the information age, everything happens at an accelerated pace. The process of forming a band, writing a catalog of songs and developing a rapport and chemistry with one another used to take years, but those days are over. Take The PNTHN, based out of San Marcos, Texas. In what seems like a matter of months, they’ve dropped a couple of projects, a handful of music videos, have played shows throughout Texas, and recently stopped by KTSW for a Studio C Session. Check it out, give it a like and a share, and definitely support these cats because they’ll be doing bigger things sooner than later.
-chief
Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now
Tagged 89.9, chief, ktsw, studio c sessions, the doosmday device, the pnthn
While combing through my timeline (as ususal), I stumbled across a trailer for an upcoming dance-based film, Against Shadows. What immediately caught my eye was the backdrop for the thumbnail : the soon to be relocated Hope Outdoor Gallery in Austin. Upon further research, I discovered that Stephanie Patrick and team’s vision was to do 5 scenes involving 10 dancers that takes place in both Austin and San Francisco. A second video provided a bit more insight into the project…
I will definitely be on the lookout for this one.
-chief
Emcee L.Dot, representing Killeen by way of D.C., is here to make it plain and simple what he’s all about. On the video for the latest single, Savage, L.Dot and collaborator Menace trade bars about what qualifies them as savage, as well as what sets them apart from others making similar claims. All of this is done over a banger of a beat from TroubleOnTheTrack and Dubb-Z. CoolyFilms stepped in with the visual assist, and the final product is definitely something that stands up against the competition. Definitely give this one a like, share and comment if you’re missing hip-hop with substance and heart from the local level.
-chief
Flyhorses are back at it, and will be at it forever. Norman Ba$e and DDotElles dropped episode 2, featuring KUTX‘s The Breaks (Fresh Prince of the ATX and Confucius Jones) and as always, the range of topics is vast and diverse. Period point blank, these cats are entertaining as all hell, and so far the 2 sets of guests they’ve presented are equally engaging. I plan on sticking to this podcast for the long haul as a listener, and maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to grab some time as a guest on the podcast. Check it out, share it, leave a comment, and support your local creatives.
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Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice 