Category Archives: Underground Me Now

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High Alert :: Blastfamous USA Drops Debut EP

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Blastfamous USA is far from the first supergroup out of the Austin music scene, but they’re by far one of the illest and most promising musical connections the scene has seen in quite a while.  NGHT HCKLRS and Zeale Rapz certainly did not need one another, as each of these particular musical projects has seen varied levels of success on their own.  This go-round, however, is proving to be fruitful for all parties involved, especially Zeale Rapz, who was always clever with the wordplay, but is showing a completely genuine edge on these tracks that (in my opinion) has only been hinted at in the past.  As with most banger EPs, I am certainly ready for what the full length project has in store… props to everyone involved in this project.

-chief

Audible Dimensions :: Apek Drops ‘CvltStatus’ Single

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Austin-based MC Apek is hoping to make an impact in 2017.  As he prepares to release his upcoming project ShapeShift, a warning shot in the form of CvltStatus has been issued.  There seems to be a theme of duality running throughout the track.. the carnal and the spiritual, the secular and the unseen, and so on.  Very cool concept for a song, and I am interested to see where the full project goes.

-chief

Straight Talk :: Ben Al Drops Visuals For ‘In A Min’

Sometimes, being all business can be the best format for getting your point across.  Enter In a Min, the latest video from Austin hip hop mainstay Ben Al.  The video takes a lo-fi approach, catching Ben Al in many familiar places, addressing the camera directly, and giving what equates to a state of the union for him and his stances on life and hip hop.  You know how I do it… I love doing the grounded thing just as much as I do the fantastic approach, and this video/song combo stays so grounded it’s underground by association… that being said, give it a share, a like and a comment, and keep supporting that local hip hop.

-chief

Wonder Years :: Notes Floats Gets It On ‘Same Page’

Quality and consistency.  That’s what we’ve come to expect from Notes Floats.  Dude has been in the beats and rhymes game for ages, and in this time, he has developed a culture.. a presentation.. an aura that speaks his brand.  His latest music video, Same Page, seems to capture his aesthetic perfectly, and it fits into his video canon very nicely.  Give it a watch, give it a like, and give it a share or comment (or both)!

-chief

Strange Fiction :: EVOLVE Drops ‘Life’s A…’ Visual

Props to EVOLVE for being both one of the hardest working cats in the game and one of the folks most willing to collaborate with others.  His latest project, in fact, will be a series of collaborative songs with many, many recognizable names in the hip-hop gamut.  The first single, Life’s A…, features Deacon the Villian (of CunninLynguists fame) and JunClassic, and your’s truly was lucky enough to get the call for producing a music video.  ‘Public domain science fiction’ would describe the motif, but believe me, this track is dope.  Check it out, give it a like, and give it a share!

-chief

Forever Fresh :: DJ Baby G’s ‘Bomb-Ass Mixtape’ Vols. 1 & 2 Resurface



1994, my freshman year of high school.  Hip hop had recently turned super gangster, but as a teenager on the fringe of becoming a young man, I already had dreams of partaking in the hip-hop culture in any way that I could find to help sustain the fullness of the culture.  It was right around this time that a homeboy laced me with a DJ Baby G mixtape entitled Bomb-Ass Mixtape 2, and my mind was blown.  I knew a handful of things instantly : I needed turntables and a mixer ASAP, there has to be a Bomb-Ass Mixtape 1 in existence in order for there to be a part 2, and I needed to find out where I could cop these mixtapes and records.  Some pavement work resulted in the discovery of Alien Records (then on 15th street), and the rest was history.  A journey that I am still taking part in was put in motion.  Here we are, almost 25 years later, and these tapes still sound wonderful.  DJ Baby G still gets down behind the ones and twos.  And hip hop is bigger than any of us could have imagined.

-chief

Street Knowledge :: Mindz Of A Different Kind Drop Visuals For ‘All I Know’

Mindz of a Different Kind (MDK) started off as a powerhouse of a crew.. four extremely talented MCs who pooled their collective resources and vision to form a united front.  Time, however, has revealed new things out of this union.. a strong sense of self-respect from each member, as well as an obvious mutual respect among the collective.. a growth in the confidence and the content of their material.. a visual aesthetic that promotes growth and ideas while being reflective of days past.. All I Know, the lead single from the recent EP release Borderlinez, encompasses all of these things brilliantly.  Word on the street is that there’s a short film in the works.. be on the lookout for No Sleep No Breaks when it drops.. I know I’ll be.

-chief

Self-Motivation :: Wallaby And Bobbes Drop ‘Moving Forward’ Visual

Props to Wallaby and Bobbes for always coming with quality beats and rhymes.  Moving Forward is a self-made effort all the way around, from song to video concept, and these guys are proving that they can get it done on their own.  Imagine what would happen if a label decided to invest in these cats?

-chief

Spread Love :: Chisme Drops In On Radio Concuss

Earlier this year, the homies Chisme out of San Antonio hit the road, and among their stops was Seattle.  While out there exploring, one of their stops was Radio Concuss, and the fellas blessed the station with a live performance that was wonderfully captured.  Check it… dynamite stuff.

-chief

Home Grown :: Mindz Of A Different Kind (MDK)’s ‘BORDERLINEZ’ EP Now Available

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Bars, beats, culture and family would be key elements that describe Austin-based collective Mindz of a Different Kind (MDK).  After a prolific 2016, the crew is right back at it with an EP for spring 2017.  BORDERLINEZ finds the crew reaching out to non-Texas based producers, while at the same time turning the mirror inwards to reflect on their place in the grand scheme.  A pleasant surprise of a project that slipped right by me, I’m happy that I did discover it eventually.. better late than never.

-chief