Tag Archives: san antonio

Today’s Math :: RoyalKingMinus Drops ‘The #’s Vol. 3’

Posted on May 28, 2019 | Leave a comment

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San Antonio-based MC RoyalKingMinus reached out to me recently to see about some shows in the San Marcos and Austin area, so I did what I do and got him in touch with cats I knew were active.  Then I did something I need to get better at, and asked him what his latest releases were, and GOOD GOD am I glad that I did.  RoyalKingMinus has been hard at work on what he calls The Numbers Series, a series of EPs that deserves a deep dive based on the brief but brilliant The #’s Vol. 3, or at least that’s the case in my experience.  The off-kilter production and rhyme delivery, heavily referential and smart lyrics, and the vocal samples that tie it all together had me wishing for more, and lucky me, there are 3 other entries in the project to check out.  I recommend you do the same, and if you’re in the central Texas area, keep an eye out for RoyalKingMinus later this summer.

-chief

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Standing Proud :: Chris Conde’s Solo Debut, ‘Growing Up Gay’, Now Available

Posted on January 7, 2019 | Leave a comment

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San Antonio rap representative Chris Conde has something he can truly be proud of in his debut release, Growing up Gay.  The project not only features forward-moving thought provoking production (courtesy of Chris Conde, Fire-Toolz, Ryan Joseph Galvan, Venetian Snares, Ledef and Casey Keyworth), but lots of forward-thinking in general in terms of topic matter and the way it is handled.  Chris Conde has a fascinating ability to embody the entire spirit of MC’ng in the form of bold statements and wordplay while simultaneously handling what many of the uncultured masses would consider a taboo subject in hip-hop : being gay.  Chris Conde addresses it head on without making it the topic that drives his entire subject matter, which provides a perfect situation for him to flex in a familiar way while standing out from the crowd.  I could go on and on, but it’s best to dive headlong into this project and let Chris Conde show you the way.

chief

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Shock Value :: MC Homeless Expounds On ‘Dead Rappers’ With Chris Conde In New Video

Posted on August 16, 2018 | Leave a comment

There’s braggadocio, and then there’s truly being unbothered by what the common crowd is doing… I think it’s safe to say that MC Homeless falls more in the latter category.  An MC that’s never been known to do anything less than his own thing, MC Homeless recently teamed up with San Antonio-based Chris Conde to draw a clear line in the sand between the true unliving heads and those that are basically already the walking dead.  The duo gets down over a Death Woods track (plus a drone loop from Vanishing Cities) with a little visual assistance from co-director Joseph Ramirez (MC Homeless also pulled director duty), makeup and special effects by Chris Paulos, Holly Paulos and Leigh Kessel, and digital effects from David Hampton.  The track will be found on the upcoming split cassette with Brzowski, Dig Two Graves, so definitely keep your eyes and ears open for that release… I’m sure this is just a small sample of the dopeness that project holds in store.

-chief

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Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, Underground Me Now

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Staying Afloat :: Chris Conde Hits The Masses With ‘No Air (Remix)’ Video

Posted on July 6, 2018 | Leave a comment

San Antonio-based MC Chris Conde has never been one to shy away from being proud of who he is.  No pun intended, but you get more straight talk about the game from Chris Conde than you do from many of his hetero, cis peers.  In the video we get direct addressing of peoples’ unfounded fears of a gay rapper, plenty of proof that his drive and skill level has nothing to do with his lifestyle, and tons of humor on top of everything to let people know that the issues really aren’t worth the venom they normally receive.  Rather it be skateboarding, prepping wigs, walking down the street eating icees, or just doing the normal posturing associated with hip-hop, Chris Conde is here to force diversity and open-mindedness into a scene that has needed it for quite a while.

-chief

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Ballistic BoomBap :: MAD-1-ONE Presents ‘Bombz (Funeral Muzik)’ Video

Posted on June 29, 2018 | Leave a comment

San Antonio-based hip-hop artist MAD-1-ONE is back at it again.  In preparation for the July 6 release of his upcoming album Ghost of the Record Store, MAD-1-ONE connected with fellow hip-hop artist Mr. Composition, enlisting his visual skills to create a video for the first single.  Bombz (Funeral Muzik) serves as half calling card, half stern warning to anyone foolish enough to not recognize or respect what MAD-1-ONE is bringing to the table : knowledge of self, knowledge of culture, years of experience, and razor sharp bars that inspire just as much as they entertain.  The video features MAD-1-ONE and crew wandering the block, rocking in the record store, and raising spirits in the cemetery, all of which fit into the larger scope that MAD-1-ONE seems to be presenting with Ghost of the Record Store.  If the first single is any indication of what the full length holds in store, I think it’s safe to say San Antonio will have a project they can be proud of in 2018.

-chief

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Big Pictures :: Tone Royal’s Amazing ‘Late’ Music Video Now Streaming

Posted on November 28, 2017 | Leave a comment

If it’s not common knowledge by now that movie references are my soft spot, it should be apparently so in the wake of this share.  Tone Royal, based out of San Antonio, decided to go ahead and blow my mind with the release of his music video for Late.  The first single from the upcoming EP of the same name, Tone‘s video goes out of it’s way to immerse us up to our eyeballs in both famous and obscure movie reference interactions.  The animation hearkens back to the transition period between Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, and the choices are pitch perfect.  It goes without question that the song is a banger as well, making all of the elements hold one another up in a beautiful bit of harmony.  This one comes highly recommended, so definitely hit those like, share and subscribe buttons!

-chief

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Deep Rooted :: AMEA’s Latest, ‘The Learning Tree Pt. 1’, Demands Attention

Posted on November 14, 2017 | Leave a comment

All of this Texas-based R&B has been good for the soul.  We are getting a very wide cross section of what this realm can be, and we don’t even have to leave the central Texas corridor to experience it.  I’ve covered AMEA (who currently reps San Antonio) a couple of times before on this blog, but the release of The Learning Tree Pt. 1 is opening my eyes to aspects of her style that I am happy to find present.  Shades of Georgia Anne Muldrow, Raphael Saadiq, Stacey Epps and Me’Shell NdegéOcello are all present, and yet AMEA still has a unique presence that cuts right through and sits comfortably within the sound surrounding her.  This is wonderful music, and it should hopefully lead to bigger and better things.  You can find it on all of the services, so I suggest doing so.

-chief

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