In preparation for the release of their RE:Mixtape, the ultra-creative Austin hip-hop duo Riders Against The Storm (RAS) decided to take an Alabama Shakes tune, remix it, and turn it into a lead single/state of the union address. You can catch the RE:Mixtape right here.
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New audio-visuals from Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice. This particular selection is Blend (Moonwalk Don’t Run) from the instrumental project Slow Burnout. Stay tuned, there may be plans for a Slow Burnout long-form video, incorporating this particular piece within the larger framework. Enjoy this for now, share it, like it, and subscribe to my YouTube channel!
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For those that are not in the know, Austin has more to provide the hip-hop culture than simply rappers. For nearly 20 years, Romeo Navarro and his baby, BBoy City, have been showing the world that Austin can hold their own in any circle. Can’t Be Stopped is simply a celebration, meant for all in the digital world to experience and share. For further info on BBoy City, check out the documentary Inside The Circle.
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One of the fun parts about curating a website is discovering things you weren’t aware of, and seeing that Austin has been my playing field for decades, I know there is no lack of creative energy in my sphere. Kryptol Haze was a recent discovery I stumbled upon, and he is further proof of the diversity of Southern hip-hop. Grind Life Films provided a nice, dark atmosphere for Beautiful People (dig the ode of inspiration at the end).
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Super dope hip hop and producer mix from Butcher Bear for Wax Poetics. I could speak on it, but listening is the only way to do this justice.
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Straight out of the Dallas based Ugly Co. camp comes a new track and video from CoolValley. Carpe Diem has everything you need: dope beat, dope lyrics, and strong visuals. Share this bad boy around, for real.
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You heard it on the (digital) radio, now you’ll see it on the (YouTube) TV show. Austin emcee Lench released What Happened To Austin? (My Beautiful City) recently, but in today’s digital world, every statement song needs a video to go along with it. This is a simple but powerful expression of what was, what could have been, and what is becoming in the ‘Live Music Capitol of the World’.
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At the close of 2015, Austin-based hip-hop creative Protextor/P-Tek released Shift. There were many standout cuts on the project, and among them was the KB the Boo Bonic collaborative effort They Watchin’. An ode to the digital age, and the paranoia that comes along with it, this was a song that was literally begging for a visual counterpart. Enter rinjin video… and now, we have the masterpiece above. Share this, because it most certainly deserves to be seen.
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The term ‘vicious cycle’ can be a hard one to put a tangible definition on. The plight of the Black man and woman in America, however, seems to continually provide examples that fit squarely within what one would deem a vicious cycle. DDotElles and PeaCe (who also provided the track) put their reflections on recent events that have propelled the #BlackLivesMatter movement down so eloquently for EFA, and the end result is quite moving. PeaCe‘s ‘caught between a rock and a hard place’ narrative balances well against the deep reflection of DDotElles on ‘isolated incidents’ that occur ‘too many times’. Of all the MCs in Austin, DDotElles continues to be the most thought provoking. Take a peek at his lyrics on the Soundcloud page.
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Crew54 is pretty much synonymous with dopeness in all forms of media these days. MOS‘s DVZN Media is becoming a force to be reckoned with, so you know when it’s applied to a Crew54 track, the outcome will be pure quality. They’re definitely bringing that boombap era look back for a new set of eyes and ears. Keep up the good work, fellas.
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Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice 