Tag Archives: austin

Statement Raps :: Levi Deadman and MaxMilly Talk Culture On ‘Dead Wrong’

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Austin-based artist Levi Deadman is one of many who finds himself at an impasse due to the cultural divide that hip-hop currently faces.  On the one hand, in hip-hop almost more so than any other genre, change is inevitable.  On the other hand, we cannot let that change be at the expense of the foundations that have been laid.  With that in mind, Levi Deadman and MaxMilly found a way to have a foot in both worlds without having to give an inch for their stance or in regards to how they feel about the culture.  MaxMilly drops a hook that many of the young guns would kill for, while Levi Deadman drops a style reminiscent of the popular late-1990s Midwest flow that artists like Twista and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony made popular, all over a bone-chilling track that is equal parts horror score and hip-hop banger.  This is how you can make a statement without causing a further divide, and for that, I must give Levi Deadman all the props he deserves.

-chief

Ripple Effect :: Ben Buck Making Waves With ‘McNasty Was Here’ Video

Ben Buck most certainly embodies the Austin aesthetic, and his video for McNasty Was Here cuts right to the heart of that matter with its two main elements : weirdness and live music.  Director Gravy Jones cuts between live footage and material that looks like B-roll from a skate video to perfectly capture what a day in the life of Ben Buck must feel like.  I’m not the man, so I can’t speak for him, but to my knowledge, most days entail kicking it with his crew, being creative, making music, and whenever the chance affords it, jumping on stage to further the legend.  Definitely check out the video, give it a like and a share, and leave a comment for support!

-chief

Natural Mystic :: BlackLight Goes On A Vision Quest For ‘Woah!’ Video

BlackLight has been on a very public and heartfelt journey to better his craft on all levels, both creatively and as a man, and it has been a very inspirational journey to watch.  Aside from the public works and songwriting that he does, he’s delved into the world of visual production as well, and a significant point in the growth was marked by a pair of music videos : Crying AF, which was previously covered on this blog, and Woah!, a slightly heavier allusion to the journey on which BlackLight was about to partake.  The video shows him symbolically (and, at a certain point, literally) stepping outside of himself to explore his life, journey and choices from a number of different angles, all with the help of a mystic woman and some time spent alone in nature.  The video has a wonderful DIY ethic, but it still manages to have a deep enough psychedelic aesthetic to make its point clear and concise.  I am definitely looking forward to what future creations BlackLight has in store, as he’s mentioned that he’s cooking up a couple of projects that promise to entertain to maximum potential.

-chief

Master Mentality :: Curbside Jones Laces Us Up Quick With ‘Lupin’

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Curbside Jones, possibly more so than any other Texas hip-hop artist, continually finds ways to reinvent himself and sound fresh while keeping a signature feel to his sound.  On his latest drop, the Lupin single pack, Jones offers up a quick banger with clever wordplay and a methodical track with some weight to it, and as a bonus, he gives an acapella for anyone wanting to mix (or possibly remix) things up.  Even the cover has a flare and style of its own while simultaneously mirroring the aesthetic of classic jazz albums.  For a buck, what have you got to lose?

-chief

Mind Scramble :: The Brain Drops Visual Science With ‘Many Questions’

The Brain, member of prolific Austin hip-hop outfit SubKulture Patriots, has recently been bitten by the bug that is visual creation, and in a giant step forward, has released a multi-layered instant classic in the form of Many Questions.  The Brain has always been known for writing that is both creative and dense, and his visual style follows suit to great effect.  The feelings of the questions provided juxtaposed against the eerie visuals are addressed in the song’s midpoint by the vocal sample, and the flip from hectic cutting against the questions to a bolder, longer take with an assertive flow for the answers gives the song great balance.  Definitely give this one a like, share and a comment, as The Brain says he has more in store for us.

-chief

High Rising :: Cameron Elise Creates Visuals For ‘East Side’

Singer/songwriter Cameron Elise has now joined the list of creators that have taken the task of creating a music video into their own hands.  After the recent acquisition of a camera and nothing but inspiration to guide her, Elise was able to create a memorable and striking video for East Side, capturing several slice of life moments to punctuate her musical tales of people chasing their dreams.  The mostly black and white, highly stylized visuals work well, with the occasional peppered in use of a mirror split screen and rain effects thrown in for good measure.  Definitely impressive for a first time effort, and here’s to hoping that it won’t be the last.

-chief

Soul Stimulant :: SK The Greatest Releases ‘Dopamine’

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When it comes to instrumental projects, certain things stick out to me… dynamic range, a variety of sounds and styles, well-chosen and well-placed samples, and even those intangibles you can’t identify until you hear or recognize them all come into play.  For my money’s worth, SK the Greatest seems to be well aware of these aspects, as his latest project, Dopamine, manages to tick all of those boxes in an economic but memorable 9 tracks.  Be it the Public Enemy-esque The Education (Intro), the ominous darkness of Forbidden Flute, the layers of guitar under synth found in Wobbly, or any of the other memorable moments that the Austin-based beatsmith put together in the project, it’s most certainly a strong one.  Props to GMGOmusic for putting this out… definitely check out SK the Greatest and the other artist on the Bandcamp site, and encourage others to do the same.

-chief

Paying Homage :: MC Overlord Paid Tribute At The 37th Annual Austin Music Awards

(video courtesy of William Tompkins)

This past Austin Music Awards ceremony was full of awards presented and memorable moments, but none stood larger than the moving tribute paid to 9-time Hip-Hop Award winner Donnell Robinson, formerly professionally known as MC Overlord in the Texas music scene.  His passing in 2018 was one that left a definite hole in the community, as a recent triumph over health issues made his passing that much more of a shock.  Dirty Wormz came through to back up Tray GodTee Double and Bavu Blakes  (the trio of MCs formerly associated with the Austin hip-hop cornerstone Hip-Hop Humpday), and the collective blazed through a set of songs while the crowd and performers all became awash in the glow of memories and homage.  We must never forget our fallen soldiers, and this is an instance of the scene coming together to solidify that fact.

-chief

World Music :: Salvasquared Releases ‘The Overseas Instrumentals’

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Nothing rejuvenates and uplifts the human spirit like traveling, especially traveling to locations that are considered ‘exotic’, for lack of a better word.  Austin-based producer Salvasquared recently got to experience this via a stay in South Korea while traveling through Asia.  I am sure that his life changed in many ways, but one tangible bit of proof that the trip had an influence on him is The Overseas Instrumentals, a group of beats with Salvasquared‘s foundation used to build towers of sound influenced by other parts of the world.  The Asian influence is clearly there, but aspects of Latin and African music also find their way into the mix as well.  This is definitely eye-opening and mind-expanding music, even in instrumental form, as it shows how all of our worldly textures can be weaved together into coherent and moving compositions.  Definitely check this one out, and encourage others to do the same.

-chief

Reflection Session :: The Elephant In The Room Stops By ‘Rappers Playing Games (RPG)’

Protextor and the Baby Lion collective are doing great things with Rappers Playing Games (RPG), with each episode getting sharper and sharper in terms of both presentation and interviews.  The latest guest, The Elephant in the Room, stopped by to do some sparring via Sega‘s Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers fighting game, while simultaneously speaking about the songwriting and production process, influences, their favorite aspects of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers and more.  This is one of the most natural and organic conversations yet, as the mutual respect between Protextor and The Elephant in the Room is clear and obvious.  Keep supporting this channel, and hopefully we can see things grow!

-chief