Feb. 3rd: Dilla Day 2018 @ Sidebar

Since Sidebar opened, they've quickly evolved into a hotbed for good hip hop. This is almost definitely the result of management being big fans. They regularly feature DJs like SVPPLY and Crusty Cuts in addition to rap talent like Jarv, Hanknative and Mister Burns.

(Note: fans of "beer" will also find a lot to love there.)

So it's fitting that Sidebar would be hosting a Dilla Day 2018 celebration. They're doing it up right, too. Shout out to promoters who have actual promo copy for their events. Here's the scoop from Sidebar:

"Around his birthday every year, cities across the US take time to celebrate the life and work of James Yancey A.K.A. J Dilla. We will be celebrating his influence on Hip Hop and honoring his memory at Sidebar on Saturday, February 3rd.

Beat sets will start off the night from three local hip hop producers: Crusty Cuts, Loupo and Old Gold. Hanknative, Sam and Somba will perform original material with a J Dilla-influenced twist. We will close the night with hip hop DJ sets from Svpply and Crusty Cuts to dance right till 2. Come celebrate with us!"

"Hanknative" is yung phenom Hank Collins, the BTV prodigy who earned a "Best Hip Hop Artist or Group" Seven Daysie nomination last summer. February 3rd is a Saturday night and this party is free.

HALLOWEEN: Jonwayne at Club Metronome

Jonwayne emerged from LA's legendary Low End Theory, the same scene that gave us Flying Lotus and Anderson Paak. He's currently a month into his first big tour, in support of Rap Album Two, which is the actual, real name of his second album. He is rolling with Danny Watts, a remarkably gifted Texas spitter who quit his job at CostCo for this tour.

Local support will come courtesy of Loupo, which is a very tasty and appropriate choice for a Signal Kitchen to make. Kudos to the chef.

Show is 18+. Tickets are $13 adv, $15 at the door.

Oct. 27th - Manus + Friends @ The Monkey House

Manus Dunbar will be rocking Burlington once again on Friday the 27th -- his first gig in Vermont since the 2016 Sound Affects Showcase at Waking Windows. He's a resident of Los Angeles these days, but Manus was one of the founding members of VT Union.

LA has been treating him well. His recent single Animebae is being featured on Comedy Central show Broad City -- apparently the first of several features this season. Hell yeah, bud.

Manus + Friends will also feature globe-trotting DJ superstars Lazerdisk with Berk Visual doing live art, a set from beatsmith / hometown hero Loupo and raps from HC, aka Hank Collins, who snagged a Seven Daysies nomination this year. A damn fine lineup, in other words. 9 pm. 21+ $5. 18+ $10

ROUNDUP: Hip Hop Shows in October

Oct. 6th - 33 1/3 Anniversary of "The Cultural Bunker" at Club Metronome - This is a huge party honoring one of the true founders of "Vermont Hip Hop," by any standard, DJ Melo Grant. Naturally, this will feature an all-star cast of DJs, like Big Dog, Cre8, Sexfly, Luis Calderin, and Nat Woodard. There is also going to be an epic cypher with Konflick, S.I.N.siZZle, Jarv, and Learic trading bars over Es-K beats. Be there. 9 pm. 21+. $5.

Oct. 9th - Brother Ali at Higher Ground - One of the best to do it will be swinging through to support his new album, All the Beauty in This Whole Life. He's bringing along some top-notch support, too -- Sa-Roc, Last Word and Sol Messiah will also be playing. 8 pm. $20 adv / $22 door. ALL AGES SHOW.

Oct. 14th - Khaosity Birthday Bash at Social Club & Lounge - Khaosity has been hustling hard in 2017...reckon he's earned a big party. And this will be big: current lineup goes a little something like Jarv, Jibba The Gent, Eyedos, Mister Burns, Kingbread, Suss Brim, BL SPITZ, HatePH34R, Modest, Corty Booth, Drive and JMC Ent. 7 pm. $2 until 10 pm, $5 after that. 21+.

Oct. 19th - Third Thursday at Monkey House - Third Thursday is always a family celebration, but this one is going to be special. Portland, ME madman / rap hobo Brzowski will be playing in support of his impressive a.f. new album, Emnityville. This cat is at the top of his game right now. There will also be a set from Wool See, aka Portland, OR rapper/producer IAME, who recently moved to Vermont...and released a new album, Leaving/Left. Still not enough? Fine. Jibba "The Gent", will also be rocking the Monkeyhouse, and the evening kicks off with a set from Khaosity & Drive. 9 pm. 18+ $8 / 21+ $3.

Oct. 20th - WRUV presents Milo and Sammus. As part of WRUV's "Rocktober" series, they've been kind enough to make some space for beats & rhymes. Milo having an amazing run, building a genuine indie empire with his Ruby Yacht extended family. Sammus is an awesome emcee from Ithica, NY with an unforgettable stage show. Also, Sam Paulino will be opening, fresh off his triumphant South Cove EP, one of the best Vermont releases of 2017.8 pm. $15. ALL AGES SHOW.

Oct. 20th - East Coast Indie Jam at Club Metronome - this is a huge networking event in addition to a rap show. There will be a lot going on upstairs on the 20th. Current line up hails from all over: Spocka Summa & Friends (RI), Colby Stiltz (VT), Dommy Divine (MA/CA), Spilt Soul (FL), Twenty Piece (DC), and Swizzy B (CO) -- with more local support to be announced shortly. 8 pm. 21+. FREE SHOW.

Oct. 27th - Boomslang Album Release Party at Sweet Melissas - Boomslang will be releasing their new album, Attack the Vampire, on a Friday night in the capital city. Maiden Voyage is co-headlining, and surprise special guests will also be in the building. 9:30 pm. Under 21 $10 / 21+ $5.

Oct. 28th-29th - Fear Fest is a private party in Royalton, VT. (A good town to be holding a private party in.) Party is being thrown by Yours Truly Inc, and there will be costume competitions and bonfires aplenty. This will be a two night BYOB party with tons of music - current lineup is Judge da Beast, Bar None The Best, Dee Block, EyeDos, Jarv, BL Spitz, Biozone, I.M.L, and JMC. $15 / $20 VIP

Oct. 31st - Jonwayne at Club Metronome - Jonwayne is an unlikely looking rap superhero, but he dropped one of 2017's best albums. He's on tour with young Texas spitter Danny Watts, who just released an album on Jonwayne's label (and quit his job at CostCo -- congrats!) Also on the bill: EMV and an opening set from Loupo, who definitely deserves the spotlight. 8:30 pm. $13 adv / $15 door. 18+.

Little Pain x Dommy Divine, September 13th @ Higher Ground

This one snuck up on me, so it didn't make the September roundup, but this show is loaded with local talent.

As an old rap head in his late fifties, I have no business trying to figure out what is going here. Little Pain is, at least according Vice, "the leader of the Sad Rap Revolution" -- hopefully nobody is getting killed over that, sounds pretty serious. Dommy Divine appears to be either a promoter or a DJ, based on his soundcloud. Dude has taste, either which way.

I do know the cats on the undercard here, and it's quite a lineup. Yung $eth has been building his name off live performances, singles, and his recent EP, FUELED BY HATE. Beat wizard Loupo is currently working on about three dozen projects in the aftermath of his latest album, Good Company. Notation is a local menace hard at work on some new projects, David Chief is an impressive new producer with a big online audience, and Chyse is one of the best rappers in the state. $10 adv / $15 door. 8 pm.

Es-K & Loupo - Symbiosis

Just in time for summer's closing act, we've got a fresh new soundtrack from Es-K & Loupo.

These two beat sculptors & sample composers have been honing a psychic bond for years now. Loupo helped co-produce some installments of the Spontaneous Grooves series and showed up again on Es-K's last two solo albums, Mantras in Motion and Passages.

Last year, the duo dropped the "Sanctuary" tape on Chicago-based BLVNT Records. That was a damn fine project, yet since then, each of them have released Lifetime Achievement™ level albums. Loupo's glittering dreamscape Good Company has been getting him rave reviews and worldwide plays, and of course, Es-K dropped his monumental Building Bridges project with Boot Camp Klik legend General Steele.



With Symbiosis, Es-K & Loupo reconvene at the peak of their powers. They're masters of the balance between building hypnotic space and giving the listener an interesting, evolving ride. It's well worth the trip.

You can also cop this on limited edition 10" vinyl while supplies last. See Cold Busted for details.

Loupo - A Noise Ordinance Bio

An awesome introductory video about BTV producer Loupo, from the folks at Noise Ordinance, which is one of those creative incubator / branded performance space / multi-genre non-label collective deals. They make very nice videos, I can confirm that much. (For more information, check out this recent Seven Days profile.)

Since the release of Good Company -- one of the smoothest albums to come out of Vermont, period -- Loupo has been staying very, very busy. No said date, for now, but definitely expect more releases from the yung jazzgod this year.

Meanwhile, as ever, Loupo is dropping new gems on Soundcloud all the time. Get familiar.

Loupo - "Good Company"

The tag team of Es-K and Loupo have been racking up some serious accomplishments in the past year. Where Es-K's Building Bridges project plugged him into NYC's rap scene, Loupo's latest album covers very different terrain: wobbly, psychedelic jazz-hop experiments with a talented group of co-producers and live musicians.

This is much more than a beat tape. This is a serious album that will occupy your headphones for weeks.

Good Company was released on Melody Soul, a Baton Rouge based label with a great roster and a global rep. Loupo is already cranking on the next step, a collaboration he's calling "Noise Ordinance" -- more on that soon.

Loupo - "Letters" ft Stephanie & Max Bronstein

Loupo has already given us two tasty albums of jazz-heavy instrumental hip hop - 2014's Transitions and his 2015 followup Enigma. Late last year, though, he released Moods, an experimental & expansive EP that was heavy on heady remixes. Clearly, he's been doing some growth as an artist, and it sounds like his next album will be a big statement.

On February 25th, he will be releasing Good Company through soundcloud collective MelodySoul. He's kicking off the countdown with "Letters," a single featuring Stephanie on the vocals & Max Bronstein on some slick & meticulous guitar. It's pretty clear Loupo isn't content with just banging out beats, he's aiming to become a full-on, real-deal, Quincy Jones ass producer of dope music. "Letters" is a carefully calibrated, lush track. This album should be pure flames if this here is any indication.

Milo & Michael Christmas @ Signal Kitchen 3.3

Great show going down March 3rd at Signal Kitchen with Milwaukee's Milo and Boston's Michael Christmas. Also on the bill are Mase Well and Vermont's own Loupo. All ages show with pre-sale tickets at $12. Very dope lineup of emcee's and beat makers your not gonna want to miss! More info at Signalkitchen.com

"Sanctuary" - Es-K & Loupo

A fresh dose of instrumental expertise from two of Vermont's very finest beatsmiths, Es-K and Loupo. This latest project is a collaboration with Ann Arbor, MI label/collective Blvnt Records. 10 tracks of lush headphone food available as a "pay what you want" download.

We can expect major -- huge -- individual projects from these two in 2016. In the meantime, you can tune in on Soundcloud: Es-K x Loupo or catch up on their recent album work. Es-K delivered a strong, soulful release for LA label Cold Busted last summer called "Mantras in Motion." Loupo's latest, "Enigma," is ambitious and cohesive, establishing him as a solo artist in his own right.

Cabin Fever Hip Hop Benefit for Salvation Farms

Collective Rhymes and Salvation Farms presents an annual Hip Hop benefit concert for Salvation Farms. It will take place on Thursday, April 2nd at Club Metronome at 188 Main St, Burlington, VT. Doors open at 8 PM and show starts at 9PM. It's a 21+ show and $5 at the door! It is a fundraiser, so we are accepting more than $5 for the cover charge! We have an amazing line up of local hip hop acts! Learic of the Aztexts, Wombaticus Rex, Self Portrait, Mic Plante, Bless The Child, Loupo, Notation, Owen Kinlund aka Rubix, DJCrunchee (Productions), cworner stwore, beat boxer extraordinaire Simmy B, Caveman, Rhythm Riderz Crew, Mycelium MC, and special guests! There will be an All-Star freestyle set that the DJ's, beatmakers, emcee's will improvise the soundtrack and dialogue to a silent movie! This is a hip hop show that can't be missed! See you there! Peace

Oct. 13th: SPACE EXPLORATION at Drink

Interesting digs tomorrow evening by City Hall Park: "Space Exploration" is an evening of quality instrumental music -- hip hop and EDM, mostly hip hop -- courtesy of Loupo and The Human Canvas. Also featured are Forest and some live music from Patrick Ross and Caleb Bronz. Admission is apparently free if you bring the flyer, but obviously, we're talking about a f'ing bar here, so don't sweat that.

Tonight @ Charlie-O's: Boomslang & Enemy Self

Friday night rap party at Charlie-O's. A hard recipe to beat, if you're looking for a good time. Headlining the hootenanny: hometown heroes Boomslang, who've had a busy 2014. There will be some intense instrumental sets from two of the 802's finest producers, Skysplitter Ink and Loupo. Skysplitter Ink has been insanely prolific this year, working behind the boards on dozens of rap albums for artists around the world and still finding time to tour with his rap group, Somewhere in the Solution. The young shogun Loupo is hot off the release of both a solo album on LA label Cold Busted, and the excellent Jenke Arts collaboration Agent Slacker.

The festivities will also feature the debut of Enemy Self, a long time veteran of 802 hip hop who has recently released his experimental album "Evolution Kills." If you're in Montpelier, there is simply no other place to be.

Get Familiar: Loupo

Thirtyseven: Where in Vermont are you from?

Loupo: I'm originally from a little town called Duxbury, Vermont, and moved to Montpelier when I was 13. Now I'm living in Colchester and working in Burlington. It's fast paced living that not only supports hip hop in greater numbers, but needs it.

Thirtyseven: How did you get introduced to the strange fact Vermont has a hip hop scene?

Loupo: My taste of hip hop was introduced by my brother jayel, I remember him playing some of the beats that keep me going today. It can be the smallest piece that creates the foundation to someones passion, and he was just that.

Thirtyseven: What keeps you sane and inspired during the winter?

Loupo: I'm actually used to being cooped inside making beat whenever, wether its -10 or 110 degrees I'm still thinking music. Sometimes living in Vermont to enjoy a full hearted winter is good, otherwise I wish I lived somewhere warm and sunny...like LA.

Thirtyseven: Where do you start when you're building a new beat?

Loupo: I usually start off by packing a bowl, finding a good sample, and getting to work! Its funny to think that in some of the tracks on Transitions, and my latest release, i spent more time adding fx, vocal drops, and intros/buildups than actually making the beat. Maybe thats what gives me my sound, given much experimenting goes on in this process.

Thirtyseven: Do you have projects in mind after Transitions?

Loupo: Yes, I'm currently working on another release that leans more on my hype, big beat style. I want to bring something to the table that can be played in many different settings, dealing less with the relaxed melancholy I'm used to. Although I love working on both styles of music, its important to keep every release in one formula/sound to create a cohesive piece.

Thirtyseven: What was your process like creating a project like Agent Slacker?

Loupo: That project was a spontaneous type deal, I just had a bunch of joints floating around on soundcloud and my computer. The album came out quick, and it was dope, always fun playing a show with them.

This is Loupo saying thanks for reading, as always keep the hip hop alive!!

Agent Slacker: Really Damn Good

I caught these cats last night opening up for People Under the Stairs, who put on one hell of a party at Arts Riot. The chemistry between Humble and Tommy Alexander is a proven winner, but the real revelation is these Loupo beats -- a diverse and ambitious canvas, his style has grown more intricate and more refined. It was a great Full Moon Masquerade soundtrack, and it was over too soon.

In related news, the Daysies finalists were posted yesterday: congrats to A2VT, Bless the Child, The Aztext, Lynguistic Civilians, and naturally, VT Union, who have been putting in constant work and bringing majors acts through the 802 in 2014.

Loupo featured on Cold Busted compilation

Montpelier native Loupo has gotten a track placed on the latest instrumental compilation from the distinguished hip hop label Cold Busted. It's only the beginning, too: he's got a solo project coming out on that imprint before the summer is through. Props to Loupo and Es-K for making major moves this year.

Speaking of whom...check out this collaboration off the latest episode of Spontaneous Grooves:

Es-K - Spontaneous Grooves Ep. 16

Burlington beatsmith and one-man army Es-K keeps it moving with the sixteenth "Episode" of his epic series for Cold Busted, Spontaneous Grooves. One of my favorite cuts on this album, "Peaz," is a collaboration with Montpelier-based producer Loupo, who is spooky talented and working on some big projects of his own for 2014.