Category Archives: Spotlight

Artists of all varieties that I know and work with.

Dynamite Soul :: Fresh Kils Flips Otis

Fresh Kils is one of the most solid beatmakers doing it on the American continent.  Hailing from Toronto, and always holding it down for hip-hop, Kils has the gift of taking material that may have been heavily sampled previously, and finding a way to make it uniquely his own.  Dig the video for further proof.

-chief

Gentlemen’s Welcome :: Crew54 Release ‘Wyld Gentlemen’

GChrist and M.O.S. both fired warning shots at you.  Now, the Crew54 has reconnected like Voltron to release the highly anticipated Wyld Gentlemen.  These cats come with it in all aspects of their creative expression, so I am very much looking forward to taking this album in, and seeing what kind of visuals they release to accompany these potential bangers.  Drop them a few bucks, and get your people to do the same.

-chief

Stimulating Sound :: ‘Thee Perfect High’ By Reaganometry Now Available

Fresh out of the iNSECT Records podcast factory comes a new mix from Austin, TX  producer extraordinaire Reaganometry.  Free download, and this one can also be copped in cassette form from the legendary outlet Fat Beats.  Looking forward to diving deep into this one.

-chief

Preemptive Strikes :: More ‘Wyld Gentlemen’ Promo From M.O.S.

About a month ago, GChrist of Crew54 dropped some darts in preparation of the release of Wyld Gentlemen, the much anticipated full-length on the way.  M.O.S. has thrown his hat into the ring, and of course, the bars are solid, and this LP is looking even better than it already was… drop this bad boy already!

-chief

Swan Song :: ‘Last Night At Holy Mountain’

The face of the Austin music scene, while having constantly faced transition periods, is currently going through a cultural shift.  The Red River music district, which was supposed to be the saving grace of the live music scene, is suddenly taking some hard hits.  Holy Mountain is the latest, and it’s loss is one of the biggest.  We can only hold on and see what happens, and if you have a club you don’t want to see go, SUPPORT THAT CLUB.

-chief

Spirit Lyrical :: HADES Decides To ‘Raise The Dead’

Every once in a while, you’ve gotta get some things off of your chest.  HADES of Black Market Pluto decided to step it up one, and spit for both a social media and an ‘underground’ captive audience.  Take a minute and get wrapped up in  it.

-chief

Internationally Known :: ‘World Renown’ Released From The Undergrind / @TheUndergrind

After a couple of years of hustling and making the physical distance between them a non-factor, Side Effect and Mirage512, collectively known as The Undergrind, have finally unleashed their debut album.  World Renown is 12 tracks of collaboration and celebration of culture, grinding for positive change and self-fulfillment.  Support these cats, because hip-hop definitely needs more voices along these lines.

-chief

Family Matters :: ‘We Used To Play’ By oz. + Black DaVinci + Muggzy Flowz

Nothing is more important than family.  Whether it be blood, or those who have been through the thick of it with you, family holds you down when nobody else will.  oz., Black DaVinci and Muggzy Flowz pay tribute to that importance with this moving video for We Used To Play, featuring a bunch of family.  I’m loving it, so I’m sharing… do the same if you feel the same way.

-chief

It’s The Real :: #REALEST MC CYPHER Part II (Austin, TX)

One of the last standing portions of golden age hip hop is the cypher.  Although it has morphed over the last few years, it’s still an example of what a like-minded collection of artists can do in the rawest sense.  This Austin edition features some underground lyricists known for holding it down : You F. Oh, Potent Tai, Andre Mac, Dali and Lady Shacklin.  Dig it and dig it good.

-chief

Parting Words :: SPACE CAMP Death Squad And ‘Joe Dassin’

A nice bit of visual dopeness from SPACE CAMP Death SquadJoe Dassin is powerful in its simplicity.  The crew is known for their highly energetic live performances, but this video catches the kinetic energy of the crew via framing and editing rather than having the members jump around like crazy people.  Reminds me of Upright Citizens Brigade with boom bap.  Share it around!

-chief