Tag Archives: texas

Funny Games :: SymmaTree And Big Lo Connect For ‘The Divine Comedy’

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The homie SymmaTree has been handling his hip-hop path the old fashioned way these days : hit the road and blaze a trail for yourself, no matter the cost.  Most people realize the obvious benefit of this choice, which is the growth of your fanbase and the ability to spread your impact, but one of the bonus benefits of this approach is expanding your peer circle.  Somewhere along the path, SymmaTree hooked up with Big Lo out of Florida, and the two like-minded individuals started trading show opportunities back and forth.  This continued connection eventually led to the recent release of The Divine Comedy, a three song collection written by SymmaTree and produced by Big Lo.  For such a short project, the topics and approach weigh heavy and are extremely thought-provoking, and the production gives everything a gravitas worthy of undivided attention.  Definitely a great appetizer for what will hopefully be a continued collaboration, and hopefully one that leads to a full-length project sooner than later.  Check it out, cop it, and donate a few bucks if you’ve got it.

-chief

Earth Tones :: The Deer Release ‘Swoon’ Single In Preparation For ‘Do No Harm’ Album Release

Watching The Deer go from close friends to local heroes to band on the bubble of stardom has been a pleasant thing to experience from afar.  I can attest that the group is still standing behind the values that helped them form and propel towards spreading their good word.  Their latest single, Swoon, from their upcoming release Do No Harm, shows growth from the group that I cannot wait to hear be translated into live performance, as it possesses a new found spirit and energy that has been hinted at in the past, but (to my knowledge) never embraced with such force or joy until now.  That being said, I continue to be a fan and supporter of The Deer, and I am excited to see where this leg of their journey takes them.

-chief

Mental Math :: SniperShot Drops Dope Visual For ‘Fibonacci Microphone Pimpin’

There’s something special about SniperShot‘s ability to mix the rawness and immediacy of hip-hop with the knowledge, wisdom and understanding that comes with enlightenment.  Be he broadcasting from nature, the streets or the stage, his ability to turn concepts into lyrical darts is one that must be admired, and it’s arguable that he’s never sounded better doing this than he does on his latest single and video, Fibonacci Microphone Pimpin.  With the help of some visualized mental equations and trippy visual accents, SniperShot drops confident bars over a gold-school sounding beat that would’ve made many West Coast and Third Coast artists jealous that they missed out on it.  Definitely dive into this video, share it around for others to do the same, and leave a like and/or comment to let SniperShot know what you think!

-chief

Sacred Texts :: Tee Double Releases 20th Anniversary Edition Of ‘Lost Scriptures’

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Until around my junior year of high school, I had this idea in my mind that musicians and actors were a completely different level of person than the average individual.  I’d been to a few arena-level concerts and seen major motion pictures, but nothing at the club  or indie level up to that point, and definitely nothing that featured anybody local.  That all changed right around the time I discovered Alien Records, once a mainstay of the Austin music scene… the location introduced me to local shows where underground acts that I was just becoming familiar with toured and played, and the shows were rich with local support.  This is how a number of Texas hip-hop acts, chief among them being Tee Double, made it to my radar.  He was already prolific at the time, and one of the first local LPs I ever purchased was his Lost Scriptures project, distributed by the California-based GoodVibe Recordings.  It was a trip owning a record by somebody I personally knew, and it’s still a trip 20 years later, even more so now that time has entered the equation.  Take a moment and check out this classic, add it to your collection if you don’t already own it, and spread it around so others can do the same!

-chief

Throwback Vibes :: PNTHN’s ‘Megatron’ Video

PNTHN is back at it again, which is a good thing, because their music video game has been strong since day one.  For Megatron, the crew goes for an older vibe, dusting off the late 1990’s aesthetic to the fullest.  All of the earmarks are there : donuts in the parking lot, rapping in an abandoned warehouse, fire in a barrel, dutch angles, tons of crew, and even aged video all add to the quality and feel of a song with strong energy as a foundation.  Henriques definitely did his thing visually, and PNTHN did what they do, making the result one that speaks for itself.  Dope, for sure, and has me ready for more.

-chief

Dark Arts :: Gain Gang Connects With Sertified And Pirscription For ‘Voodoo’

Gain Gang, the ‘national beat store for rappers’, just hooked up with Texas rappers Sertified and Pirscription for Voodoo, an extremely moody banger with subtle allusions to both flexing and mysticism, all cleverly intertwined with a music video that shows growth for the artists involved.  Elements of clairvoyance and voodoo (of course) permeate the video, especially in the extremely well-lit tarot and crystal ball sequences.  Add in the blunts, gold teeth and Texas flavor, and you’ve got a familiar foundation with a fresh twist on the top.  Good stuff all around.

-chief

Pretend Agenda :: ‘Let’s Go Camping’ With TrumpCard

TrumpCard believes that the children are the future, and it shows in their latest music video offering, Let’s Go Camping.  After a recent visit to the Texas state capitol, the group decided to try and bring a set of young ones into the fold, helping to educate them in their beliefs and teach them the proper ideologies to succeed in life.  As evidenced by the video, the group’s methods are flawless, and the young crowd quickly fell in line with their train of thought.  If you’re interested in going camping with TrumpCard, all you have to do is like the video, leave a comment, and share it around!

-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

Righteous Noise :: Muenster Makes A Statement With ‘Chances Are’

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Denton-based MC Muenster has decided to hit us with the summer vibes early by embracing the reggae sound on his rapid fire call to action that is Chances Are.  The track comes on light and uplifting, with a message of forward momentum via unity, and that point is hammered home by the machine-gun-esque darts that Muenster drops on the verses.  This one sounds completely fresh and unique, within the realm of Texas hip-hop or otherwise, in the way that it mixes pure reggae and hip-hop elements together while allowing each to stand alone.  Definitely one that’s gonna get some spins from me.

-chief

Party People :: ‘ANTSY’ Album Release Party Recap

On December 29 of 2018, poolboi blu celebrated the release of ANTSY (his latest solo effort) with an album release party at Splash Coworking in San MarcosTexas.  The party featured DJ sets by poolboi blu and DJ Shak, a performance by poolboi blu, plus guest performances by GostHeartless the MonsterMeta and Splash Daddy.  Michael Bailey-Lopez was on hand to document the affair, so check out his recap and leave it a like or comment, and definitely spread it around so people know about the get down!

-chief